Neptunia Mk2: Conquest Ending: Resolution
by LastationLover5000
Summary: There's a question on every Neptunia fan's mind; what happened after the Conquest Ending of Neptunia Mk2? What happened to Nepgear, to Gameindustri, the Oracles, and all of that? Was Nepgear stopped? Did she regret her actions? This little mini-series, Resolution, will address those things as best I can! Join Schwarz as she tries to save Gameindustri!
1. Blissful Twilight

**Spoiler Warning:** _This story contains spoilers from Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. If you have any intention on playing the game in the future, do not proceed if you do not want the ending ruined. If you've seen the ending, or have no intention to play the game, please proceed and enjoy the ride.___

The year is 2XXX — and a new chapter is spun in the web of Gameindustri.

_The land has since recovered from the final battle with ASIC — the Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime — and Arfoire, though the price was heavy. Unable to combat the Deity of Sin on their own power, Nepgear and Neptune resorted to one last, desperate measure — the use of the Malice Blade, a legendary blade said to have the ultimate power, however, like any power, there was a price._

_The souls of the CPUs. To finalize its evolution, the Malice Blade required the souls of the CPUs of Gameindustri, and their younger sisters. Torn inside, but knowing it was the only way to defeat Arfoire and keep Gameindustri intact, Nepgear and Neptune methodically felled the CPUs and CPU Candidates. To ensure its maximum power, Neptune made the ultimate sacrifice, throwing herself onto the Malice Blade, transforming it into the Gehaburn — Nepgear's final, and ultimate weapon._

_With ease, Nepgear slew Arfoire, the Deity of Sin, and saved Gameindustri; in spite of Arfoire's ominous last words, Nepgear spearheaded the unity of Gameindustri under the rule of Planeptune, each Oracle having no choice but to submit to Nepgear in order to ensure their own nation's survival. With each of the former landmasses becoming states within Planeptune, Nepgear renamed the entire nation "Gearkai", and began her rule as the One True Goddess._

_A hundred years have since passed, and Nepgear, influenced by the Gehaburn, now rules Gameindustri, and Gearkai, with an iron fist, ensuring the progress of the industry she destroyed through her own will._

_But now...through the secret efforts of Histoire and the other Oracles, a new hero emerges; will she be able to save Gameindustri?_

* * *

"So this is it..." A young girl stepped up towards a very large tower, a girl with skin so pale it seemed to sparkle under the moonlight, whose dark black hair was worn to back length, with two long locks framing her face. She wore a dark coat, purple in colour, that was zipped up to its raised collar, and branched out at the end to form a skirt, under which she wore dark black leggings, as well as dark black boots with purple lining. In her hair were two black ribbons, and she also wore gloves matching the colour of her skirt. Her red eyes, gleaming like rubies, stared up at the tower, which rose high enough to pierce the heavens. "This is Gear To-no...Nep Tower." She gritted her teeth; she was scared, she couldn't deny that. But she had to do this. Everyone was relying on her. 

* * *

_"Are you sure she can even handle this?" The one who spoke was a woman with the appearance of a girl in her late teens, with curly, mint hair, worn in a lengthy ponytail that reached her back. Her clothing left little to the imagination; a revealing dress with thigh-high boots and matching opera gloves, complete with a very large, silk-ribbon tied to her back. "I won't entrust the rescue of my precious Vert to this random child!"_

_"Calm yourself, Chika." This came from yet another woman, almost even younger in appearance, with pale silver hair and blue eyes, wearing a near-formal black suit with gold lining with many buttons and shorts, instead of jeans or pants. Coattails rode from the base of the coat, with black socks and shoes, placed a smooth hand on Chika's arm; this was the highest point she could reach. "Schwarz is not a 'random' child, she is the fruits of our labor over the past hundred years. I do agree, we're placing far too much hope on blind faith, but in the end, that's all we have now."_

_"Such behavior is unlike you, Kei." The third remark was from another young woman with bright blue hair tied in two pigtails, and matching blue-eyes fixed her glasses, which gleamed if only for a second. Her outfit may have been the strangest of the three present, wearing a red mortarboard, wearing a short white dress under a red, long jacket like robe worn open with gold lining and buttons. Her sleeves puff out below her elbow; worn at her neck is a gold and red ribbon with a badge. "An operation such as this would go against your very nature; I've seen you rail against much more trivial things than this before."_

_"I can't say I am behind this one-hundred percent." Kei lamented this fact, though her face betrayed no emotion. "I've run the statistics several times, and to be perfectly frank, our chances aren't as good as you would like them to be. However, she is our last chance — even I should put my faith behind her, or Noire and Uni will remain trapped inside that sword for eternity."_

"Enough of that, all of you!" A stern voice caught the attention of all three women, as a young, blonde girl, petite in size, similar to a small child, with blue eyes and soft, blonde hair, worn in twin-tails, and a light purple dress, fitting to her body, with thighhigh white boots, floated in, sitting atop a very large book. Accompanying her was Schwarz, her red eyes gazing at the Oracles, distrust flickering around. It was only fitting; she'd heard every word.

"Histoire!" Mina gasped, placing her hand to her mouth in shock. "You were listening in on us?"

"It was rather difficult to avoid it." Histoire replied, looking at Mina sharply. "I had come to meet with you three, bringing Schwarz was was requested, but before either of us could so much as open the door, I hear your little...discussion." The last word was spoken with ice in her tone. This tone wasn't meant for Mina; Chika and Kei were the ones expressing doubts, and they were who Histoire's eyes swiveled to next.

"Can you blame us!?" Chika snapped hysterically. "It's been over a century, and this plan is all we have. To leave my precious Vert in the hands of this small child," she gestured now towards Schwarz, who flinched at the hostility emanating from this woman, "is absolutely madness!"

"Chika!" Histoire raised her voice sternly, as one would when dealing with a child _— in fact, as Histoire was wont to with Neptune. Had she not been furious with Chika, this would have brought memories to her mind that she now regarded as fond. "Please, stop being so self-centered. Do you not think each and every one of us are worried about our own CPUs? This plan is not solely to save Vert __— it is not solely to save the CPUs either. The entire world's fate is at stake. If this plan succeeds, then, and only then, may we breathe easy again with Neptune and the others back safely with us."_

Chika was left stunned by this, and she didn't say a word.

Mina walked overly to Schwarz, placing a firm hand on the girl's shoulder. "Schwarz...please do not feel too put out. I know it may seem cruel of us, having created you simply to solve our own problems-"

"N-no...!" Schwarz cut her off, the girl's sharp tone stunning the three Oracles; there was definitely something like Noire in there. "I want to help! Mama Histoire uploaded everything that's happened over the past century into my brain before I was born...I know that I have to help; I'm the only one now who can. Please, don't feel bad by this point; I will fight for you!"  


* * *

"Should we get a move on, Histoire?" Schwarz asked, as the Oracle of Planeptune floated up beside her, casting a wistful look at her former home.

"Yes. I think it is about time Planeptune was taken back." Histoire steeled herself as the duo walked towards the entrance of Nep Tower. At the base of the tower was a small pedestal, and on this was a keypad. Obviously, a password was required to enter the Basilicom. "Oh my...I had completely forgotten about this."

"What is it?" Schwarz looked over the Oracle's shoulder to get a better look at the keypad.

"A security system..." Histoire replied, giving the console a hard look. "It's used as a means to protect the Basilicom when the Goddess is away or asleep. It's been far too many years since I've seen it, and Nepgear is not a fool — she's more than likely changed the combination key. Schwarz, please give me space. It will take three minutes for me to break the code and give us access without triggering the defence system."

Simply idling around under the moonlight, Schwarz patiently waited, and, true to her word, Histoire, within three minutes to the second, had successfully entered the passcode into the security console, causing the automated doors of Nep Tower to open, revealing the dark interior of Planeptune's Basilicom.

The lights were off, however, Histoire cast a soft, flickering light with the wave of her hand, raising it above their heads to give them enough light to gauge their surroundings. "It hasn't changed..." She said, with a hint of longing in her voice. Histoire truly missed the Basilicom; her own. Closing her eyes, she could almost hear Neptune, her piercing voice, while she tried to get the girl to avoid shirking her responsibilities. This room, with its high, arched walls, transparent glass ceilings, and rows of seats would have meant nothing to anyone else besides their service as a place of worship for the CPUs. To Histoire, however, it gave her the strength and determination she needed now.

"Mama Histoire?" Schwarz looked at her 'mother' curiously. "You're quiet, and you stopped moving. Are you alright?"

"Yes." Histoire replied quickly, blinking rapidly as if trying to remove something from her eyes. "Schwarz, we mustn't dawdle here; Nepgear should know she has guests." The two proceeded through the Basilicom, heading towards the top floor of Nep Tower. Much to Histoire's surprise, Nepgear hadn't bothered to install any form of security in the slightest. "_She's become cocky in this last century..._" Histoire thought to herself as they rapidly climbed an ascending staircase. Had Nepgear still been her charge, this would have worried her; right now, it could prove to be their saving grace.

It took nearly an hour to reach the final floor of Nep Tower, and greeting them wasn't an advance guard, merely a large, ornate door, with a giant, purple "N" carved into it, glowing and flickering; Nepgear's personal mark. This had been on several of her trademark weapons in the past as well, it appeared it served a more sinister use now.

Raising her hands to the door, Histoire began a quick scan, a small, holographic monitor appearing before her as she motioned Schwarz to remain silent while the process was conducted. After three minutes had elapsed, she lowered her hands, a satisfied expression on her face. "This door has another security system placed on it. A voice-activation lock. The code is non-specific, it simply requires Nepgear's specific voice print."

"B-but we don't have that...!" Schwarz started to panic, comically flailing her arms beside Histoire. "We can't get in!"

"Lower your voice." Histoire hissed, hushing the girl. "My tome is not simply for show; it grants me several abilities beyond a simply being a perch. Please give me a moment, Schwarz, and I promise I will have us inside the next room within three minutes." She floated higher above the tome, and its pages began to flip rapidly, as she searched her own memory for something specific.

After a few moments, Schwarz had to break the silence — she didn't know what Histoire was doing, and combining with the fact that she was already still very nervous, it didn't make a good combination for the child. "Mama Histoire, what are y-"

"There it is!" Histoire cut the child off mid-sentence, much to Schwarz's chagrin, and the flipping of the pages ceased as a holographic figure was generated from the book, shimmering as it formed before the door. It was a young girl with a pale complexion, long purple hair, and purple eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, and the voice, while innocent, was echoing and hollow.

"_Nice to meet you! I'm the more plain CPU of Planeptune, Nepgear!_"

Schwarz blinked in surprise as the hologram girl spoke. This was Nepgear? She sounded so innocent...but it was the same girl Histoire had told her murdered every CPU and created this dystopian Gameindustri? She couldn't help but wonder what had happened in just a hundred years, but her thoughts were interrupted when the N on the door began to flash furiously; it had accepted the voice command, and the hologram of Nepgear faded.

"What...what was that?" Schwarz had her eyes locked on where 'Nepgear' had been just moments before, confused as to how she simply vanished.

"That was me, replaying a recorded memory." Histoire explained quickly as she settled back onto her tome, the door making several loud clanking noises as it began to unravel. "I can record a moment, similarly to a video camera, and replay it later. This skill was useful for recording and replaying evidence during my time as Chairwoman of the Guild."

"Why did you have a recording of Nepgear?" Schwarz asked, more than a bit suspicious.

"For a situation where I would need it." Histoure replied simply. It was obvious the woman had not come without preparation.

The door finally gave way, revealing the entrance to the Nepgear's own personal chambers. Schwarz looked into the darkness of the entrance, and she felt her knees shaking once more. Why? What made her so scared of this? She was created _for_ this moment; Histoire and the Oracles created her to fight. Why hadn't they created her with confidence and bravery?

Histoire noticed this, and placed a hand on her makeshift daughter's shoulder. "Schwarz...the time is now. I know you are scared; it's understandable. Fear is ingrained in the mind of very being in creation, even someone like you. I can't ask you to discard your fear; that would be insensitive." She tightened her grip around Schwarz's shoulder. "In fact, it would be a lie if I said I was not feeling fearful myself. However, at the same time, I have faith in you. As do Mina, Kei, and Chika as well. Believe in yourself, as we do, and I'm certain we will come out of this victorious. I can ask for no more than that, Schwarz."

"Ma...Mama Histoire..." Schwarz was completely at a loss. If her mother was scared as well, but could remain so composed for this entire trip, even as they looked into the maw of the lion's den...it was the most she could do to do the same. After all, she had given her word to the other Oracles; she would fight for them. "Alright..." She nodded, trying to force her knees to be still. "Let's go."

Histoire smiled, and they moved forward into the entrance, finding themselves in a dimly lit room. Unlike the Basilicom from below, it was clear this was the personal quarters of Nepgear herself. Before their eyes had a chance to adjust to the dim light, there was a blinding glare as lights from all corners of the room flashed, giving the two girls a clear view of this room; large, and white, and decorating it were several frightening monuments, what appeared to be balconies adorning every corner of the wall, connecting the interior to to perfect view of the outside. At the very edge was a very large, ornate throne, carved of marble. Draping over it was a long, flowing curtain, purple in colour, the colour of Planeptune. Leading up to the throne were several steps, and where Histoire and Schwarz stood was directly over a very large rune which resembled, once more, Nepgear's personal N symbol.

"This is...!" Histoire gasped in shock; no room such as this existed within her vast memory.

"My throne room." A soft voice caught the attention of Schwarz first, and it was followed by slow clapping. Emerging from one fo the balconies, and making a very wide leap to land directly on the N rune in front of them, was a young girl with hair of bright silver, wearing what appeared to be a black, sailor-styled outfit with a blue ribbon, with the same familiar "N" symbol, as well as gray leggings and black boots. "Goodness, if it isn't Histoire...I think I should have kept your cage locked tighter than that. I didn't think the fairy would escape so easily."

"Nepgear...!" The Oracle reacted violently, moving back almost instinctively. Nepgear had found them. 

* * *

**Author's Note:** _So, I really hope anyone who read this liked it. This story is the first part of a small series on the Neptunia Conquest Ending; the mass-murder ending where Nepgear unwillingly slaughtered every CPU and CPU candidate to combat Arfoire. While the ending definitely had me crying, I figured it had potential for a small story, and that's what this is turning into. For anyone curious about Schwarz's design, it's actually a beta design for Plutia (Purutut) from the Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Artbook. I'll probably colour it when I have the chance and upload it for the benefit of this little story._

_I hope you all like it, and I would love an opinion from anyone whose read it. Look forward to Part 2, which should be up soon._


	2. THE GODLY TABOO

**Spoiler Warning:** _This story contains spoilers from Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. If you have any intention on playing the game in the future, do not proceed if you do not want the ending ruined. If you've seen the ending, or have no intention to play the game, please proceed and enjoy the ride._

"Th-this is Nepgear?" Schwarz took in the girl's strange appearance, completely at odds with the Nepgear she'd seen only moments ago in Histoire's replay. "She...she bears only a passing resemblance, it can't be her!"

"I assure it, this woman is Nepgear." Histoire's face was grim. "What you see is the effect of Gehaburn; the twisted colour of her hair, her complexion and new taste in wardrobe...it would appear the blade makes several changes to a body once it decides on a permanent host."

"A..permanent host?" Everything that was happening was too much for Schwarz; she was only a few days old, she couldn't handle all of this like Histoire could. "The sword is possessing her?"

"The sword, you say?" Nepgear had no patience to allow opponents to simply speak in front of her as if she wasn't there — this simply was not proper behaviour for anyone planning on making a kill. A strange kind of energy began to flicker in her hand, stretching into an elongated shape; the energy itself resembled the common depiction of "data". This energy quickly solidified itself, taking the shape of a large claymore, nearly the height of Nepgear herself. The sword had a gleaming purple blade, giving off a soft glow, with a guard pointed upwards on both sides with an orange gem in the middle, along with a spike that has a light-blue core above that, and a thin hilt of a similar colour and design. She raised the blade to her mouth, running her tongue alongside it.

"You mean this sword?" She asked, speaking with a tone of adoration as she lowered the blade to her side.

"Is that it?" Schwarz asked slowly, suddenly becoming very tense and alert. The very presence of that sword caused her to shiver; as if it was beckoning to her, calling her towards it. She shook her head violently, trying to shake off this feeling of dread.

"That is the Gehaburn." Histoire, it appeared, would have to continue explaining the obvious to the child. "The blade that absorbed the souls of the CPUs and their sisters, and become the dreaded Gehaburn is the very weapon you see before you — and the reason we're here, in fact."

"Oh? Goodness, I didn't expect my Gehaburn to be quite so popular with the ladies." Nepgear slowly stroked the side of the blade lovingly, eyeing it with reverence. "It's really nice, isn't it?" She held it aloft so that the moonlight hit the bright purple blade, causing it to shine. "But even if you want to borrow it, you can't have it." She jabbed a finger in Histoire's direction. "Histoire! Just a moment ago, I believe you called me a 'host', didn't you? That was the wording you chose, wasn't it?"

"It's not inaccurate, Nepgear." Histoire replied crisply. "You ceased controlling your own actions the moment the sword broke your mind and you gave in — you couldn't handle killing everyone, and Arfoire's own final words that stole your victory right from you after you sacrificed everything. You became easy prey for the Gehaburn."

A smile slipped across Nepgear's face as she brought the Gehaburn ever closer to her lips. "I don't deny that." She hissed, her eyes glinting madly. "This feels so absolutely free, I've never felt so alive! This is something you cannot positively imagine it! The moment I gave into the will of the Gehaburn, everything was lifted; my worries, my fears, but most importantly, my restraints!" A sharp flare of energy erupted from her body, cracking the ground without a single movement on Nepgear's part. "My attachments to the CPUs, the Oracles, and even these lands are gone," her smile became a full blown smirk, "and I've got to say, it feels _pretty good_."

"You're so far gone by this point, it's disgusting." Histoire spat, eyeing Nepgear with a look of revulsion. "I never thought you'd have sunk quite so low as this...it makes me truly sad, Nepgear."

"Oh please, don't." Nepgear replied, waving her hand as if brushing off an irksome fly, her smug smile now firmly plastered onto her face. "I don't need your judgement anymore, Histoire. In my world, you are no longer part of the equation."

These words truly stung Histoire; while she knew they were not spun from Nepgear's own mouth, to hear them spoken in her voice from a former charge was shattering her resolve as quickly as she had gained it.

"Finally speechless? That's good." Nepgear raised Gehaburn, pointing it towards Schwarz and Histoire. "I have no idea why you're here, Histoire, but I should commend you at the very least for coming, even if it is with this strange child. I'm surprised to see only you here, however. I would have expected Chika to have long since assaulted my stronghold in an attempt to reclaim her _precious_ Vert." She draped the entire word with mockery as she continued to speak, uninterrupted. "I do suppose I'm not surprised Kei hasn't arrived; that girl never seemed to have a heart. She's too rational; she wouldn't lead an assault like this. Neither would Mina, for all her responsibilities as a caretaker. But then there's you — the planner, the clever one. It's no surprise you would come up with something like this."

"Something like what?" Schwarz spoke up for the first time in several minutes, her ruby eyes full of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Something like _you_! Do you think I'm blind? Histoire is famous for this — the creation of man-made, artificial life!" She's an example of it herself, you know! She and the other Oracles created you for the sole purpose of fighting _me_." Her eyes flashed madly once more as her voice reached fever pitch. "I thought that would make you interesting, but you're nothing but a disappointment."

It took Schwarz a moment to grasp this — how was she a disappointment? And then she realised exactly how. _Fear_. She was still very much afraid.

"No matter — this ends now." Nepgear, without any warning, tightened the grip on her sword and swung it with great force, releasing a powerful explosion of air that ripped into the ground, destroying the 'N' symbol as the blast hitt Schwarz and Histoire like an oncoming tank, blowing them back into the stainless white walls.

"_Such...monstrous brute strength..._" Histoire's entire body felt numb, and she could barely move from just that one blow. "Schwarz, are you alright?"

"I'm fine...!" The ebony-haired girl replied as she slipped from the wall, landing on her feet. Unlike Histoire, who had nearly fallen unconscious from that attack, Schwarz was surprised to see she could still move with ease. Was her body simply made to be durable? She was a fighting machine, after all.

"So you actually can handle yourself..." Nepgear chuckled, her eyes firmly on Schwarz now. The girl had definitely gained her interested, if she was able to take attack and come out none worse for wear; Histoire's work was to be commended.

"Schwarz! The time is now!" Histoire called out from her confinement within the wall, "You have to fight! Gather up your courage and step forward! Focus your entire being on Nepgear, think of nothing else, not even your fear; there is no room for self-doubt anymore!"

"R-right!" Schwarz's hands began to conjure the same, data-like energy that Nepgear had summoned only minutes prior, and within seconds, they solidified, forming two, gleaming chakrams. Coloured a shiny, midnight black, much like the girl's hair, these were her weapons of choice, a stark contrast from the CPUs, who used swords, spears, and axes, or the Candidates, who dabbled in firearms and spellcasting.

"_Throwing weapons?_" Nepgear was taken aback by the unique weapon choice Schwarz displayed; it wasn't something she had expected, to say the least.

Schwarz wasted no time in making a move, ducking to the ground and swiftly sending the chakram in her left hand spiraling straight towards Nepgear, throwing the rounded weapon with a sharp flick of the wrist.

"_ Fast! _" Nepgear's eyes widened leapt into the air to avoid the chakram, which whizzed under her feet, missing the toes of her boots by only inches. "Already getting full o-!" Her sentence was cut short when she realized Schwarz had taken advantage of the mid-air opening she provided by sending the other chakram flying her way. Unable to dodge, Nepgear slammed her sword into the marble floor, and gripping the hilt, spun herself just out of the way before she ripped the blade from the ground. "You're certainly creative, I'll give you that. However, you wasted your chance!" She dashed forward, Gehaburn raised, gleaming. "I've never tried this on a doll before; let's see how well it cuts!"

Schwarz gritted her teeth, remaining silent as she extended her hands.

"_ What is she doing...? _The corrupted CPU Candidate raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, but she plowed on. Schwarz took that moment to jerk a hand backwards, and a whizzing sound attracting Nepgear's attention — the sound of air being cut by a moving blade. "What the good-!?"

_SLICE! _Nepgear felt a sharp pain as the chakram from before dashed by in a blur, stopping her in her tracks as she raised a hand to her face, placing it on her cheek, and feeling a warm, wet feeling. She took one look at her hand as she removed it, and saw a bright crimson on her pale white skin; it was blood. This child had wounded her.

Schwarz could feel a bit of confidence welling up in her now; she felt like she had a chance. "I can do this...!"

"Blood..." Nepgear's eyes were locked firmly onto her hand, wide-eyed as she saw the glistening red liquid which contrasted so nicely with her pale white skin. "Is this...blood? It is...mine? It's quite fitting to be mine."

"What do you...?" Schwarz blinked, voicing her bewilderment. "Why are you so calm?!"

"...Hahahaha..." Nepgear let out a throaty chuckle, and her mental instability began to display itself for the first time. A wide grin slid across her face, and her hand seemed to tremble. "Interesting. You actually managed to make me, Nepgear, bleed. Impressive human! Quite impressive indeed! I congratulate you _**for scratching me**_!" She lunged for Schwarz, pushing off from the ground and creating a large crater with nothing but pressure alone, and stopped in front of Schwarz, placing her hand directly on the girl's chest.

"_ She's so...fast! _" Schwarz was frozen in fear and shock, unable to move. She hadn't been able to track Nepgear's movements at all.

"But I'm afraid that won't do it." Nepgear's crazed eyes were focused directly on Schwarz now, "because even if you do manage to harm me again, it will as insignificant as your existence!" With great force, she swung the hilt of her blade directly into Schwarz's chest, causing the girl to be sent piercing through the air, shooting upwards and slamming into one of the balconies. "I hope that isn't it, girl. That was only a love tap — I'm not done with you yet."

"_I should have known she'd be strong..._" Schwarz thought to herself, her body racked with the pain of impact with a solid surface. "_But I didn't expect this kind of power..._ But now wasn't the time to be a coward. Not now, not when she was already thrown in the fray. Gameindustri, her mother, everyone was relying on _her _to do this. She twitched her free hand, and Nepgear's attention was once again attracted to the sound of slicing air. This time, however, she was ready, sliding easily to the left as the chakram whizzed past her, landing directly back in Schwarz's hand; the young girl breaking free of her stoned confines, landing neatly on the ground, glaring at Nepgear.

"That again...you did that before, when you cut my cheek." She observed, her eyes glancing over the chakrams that were gripped in Schwarz's hands; the girl had certainly thrown them earlier. "They certainly can't be a form of seeking projectile; the effect is far too delayed..."

"You're right." Schwarz replied calmly, getting to her feet. "It's not any form of seeking weapon; I don't have anything as fancy as that. What's the biggest weakness of a projectile weapon? I'm sure you already know; once you throw it, it's gone. If you miss, fail to hit your target, you've lost that chance." She began to spin the chakrams around on her fingers. "My chakrams don't have that kind of weakness."

Nepgear's eyes narrowed, amused. "Chakrams that always return, like boomerangs. You're going to be fun to figure out, little girl!" She vanished, moving forward with immense speed, appearing in front of Schwarz, and swinging Gehaburn downwards. Schwarz quickly parried, using the flat side of both chakrams as a means to defend herself from the blade. Sparks flying as the weapons clashed, Nepgear and Schwarz danced around each other, repeated blows being parried and deflected as the ground began to crack under the force of their movements.

Nepgear, blade still in hand, released a swift punch that shook the air, slamming Schwarz with a large blast of wind pressure, knocking her backwards and freeing them from their locked blades. She raised her blade in front of her, and it began to emit a soft, faint glow, one that immediately attracting Schwarz's attention. Nepgear then swung her blade upwards, releasing a discharge of energy from the blade that tore up the ground as it headed straight as Schwarz.

"Schwarz, look out!" Histoire shouted frantically. "That's Nepgear's Slash Wave!"

"_I can't let that attack hit me! _" Schwarz gripped her chakrams, channeling her energy into the weapons. If that attack hit, she would be cut in half; she didn't have regenerative capabilities to survive a blast like that. She slammed the weapons into the ground at the exact moment the Slash Wave connected, resulting in a huge explosion that shook the throne room.

Nepgear peered on, waiting for the dust to settle. Histoire watched and waited, nervous.

From within the smoke came a faint pulsing; a soft, bright pulse, both sound and light. Standing within the fading smokescreen was Schwarz, perfectly intact, with her chakrams held in front of her, both emitting a powerful bright glow. It quickly became apparent how the girl had survived — surrounding her was a spherical barrier, created completely of hexagons that combined to form a protective shell. It was this special technique — referred to as the Deflector Cone System — that blocked the Slash Wave.

"Why you...!" Nepgear hissed, losing her patience as the battle progressed. She should have known the girl would possess special abilities; after all, she and the other Goddesses had an entire arsenal at their disposal. However, she was a wielder of a similar barrier, and she knew its points.

"_I shouldn't let up this barrier..._" Schwarz kept a firm eye on Nepgear, waiting for the girl to make further movement. While she was still fresh with these skills, Histoire modeled the beehive barrier she used after Nepgear's own; and Schwarz knew for a fact that it was powerfu—

Her thoughts were cut off as she saw her barrier shatter before her very eyes; Nepgear, taking advantage of Schwarz being lost in thought, had launched into one of her foremost finishing moves, the Mirage Dance. True to the name, her movements appeared almost dance-like as the barrier was shattered with the first strike; Nepgear knew to strike at the spaces in between the hexagons, where the flow of energy was the weakest, and thus an easier target. What followed was a spiral of blood; spinning on her left heel and propelling with her right foot, the corrupt CPU slashed at a defenceless Schwarz, her blade making contact with skin, before dashing straight forward, finishing her dance with one final slash.

Schwarz let out a strained gasp of pain as the sword sliced into her abdomen, causing blood to spurt to the side as she fell to her knees. "_She's...so...strong..._"

Nepgear turned to look back at Schwarz, casting the girl a cold expression. "You lasted quite awhile; to be frank, I'm impressed. But it's over. You're not any kind of match for me." She raised Gehaburn up, the blade glinting at the same time as her own eyes, matching her demented nature. "I've never tried to absorb the soul of anything other than a CPU, but this blade thirsts for more than just your blood — it _demands _I offer you up."

"You...won't..." The girl panted, gripping her bleeding side. "You won't...take my soul for that sword...and I will not lose here...!" She gasped, craning her neck towards the girl who stood behind her. "I've seen what you used to be..." Her eyes, which now looked tired, perhaps from the blood loss, met Nepgear's cold and empty ones. "So eager to please...always wanting to help your sister, but always so unsure of yourself...until you gathered a trustworthy group of friends..." Her eyes darted to the sword now, and Nepgear seemed very attentive, almost shocked into silence. "Even now...you can't do anything without them by your side...as twisted as the arrangement is..."

"Don't flatter yourself, pretending to understand me!" Nepgear thrust the sword in Schwarz's direction, her eyes crazed. "I have no need to rely on anything but Gehaburn now — the 'friends' you spoke up are long since gone; they exist only to fuel Gehaburn!"

"Gehaburn this, Gehaburn that..." Schwarz was beginning to get slightly annoyed, if only because the sword was utterly revolting. "Healing powers, come to me...!" She focused her energy once more, and a bright flash erupted from under her body, enveloping her in its light. When the light cleared, Schwarz's wounds were, for the most part, healed, and those that weren't, the bleeding had stopped. She could feel relief spreading through her body as she began to stand up.

"Healing powers..." Nepgear couldn't help but find this amusing; the skills Histoire programmed into this child seemed to mimic her own to a degree. Was this the game Histoire was playing? To match Nepgear at everything she could do? She'd have to do more than beat her at her own game. Nepgear took a step forward — and a bright line shone from the bottom of her foot, catching her attention. What she saw on the marble floor was a glowing, magical circle, inscribed with various runes. She suddenly felt paralyzed; the spell markings were locking her in place. Her eyes, manic, glared at Schwarz. "You! This is-!"

"LeDelphinus!" Schwarz shouted out the name of the spell unto the heavens and a brilliant, furious white light, a pillar of holy magic, erupted from the ground, enveloping Nepgear entirely. It shot into sky, crashing straight through the ceiling of the Nep Tower, causing marble to fall to the floor. The entire tower shook under the pressure of the spell, leaving even Histoire in awe the at stunning power of this spell.

"Schwarz...when did you have the time to cast this?" Histoire asked, floating over towards the girl. She was stunned; Schwarz, who had succumbed to the power of the Mirage Dance only moments ago, had somehow managed to cast a LeDelphinus.

"It was a delayed reaction casting." Schwarz held up her chakrams, and her mother was obviously confused as to how they related to anything. "When I erected my barrier, I saturated the ground here with my own energies, forming the runes for the spell into the ground. They'd react to the touch of the opponent — in this case, Nepgear."

"So that explains it..." Nepgear's voice, cold and chilling, came from the center of the pillar of white light. The pillar split, revealing the form of the Goddess, who only appeared slightly singed, her clothing had suffered more than she. Her cold eyes were narrowed in anger. "Your spell doesn't quite have the bite of IF's...but I can see I'm going to need...different methods of dealing with you."

Schwarz was about to ask precisely what Nepgear meant by "different" when she saw the goddess turn her back, and walk over to her ornate throne, and casually took a seat on it.

"What are you doing?" Schwarz couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this; why would Nepgear take a seat now, in the middle of their battle?

Nepgear ignored her, and pressed a small button on the armrest of her throne; the floor at Nepgear's side began to make incisions in itself, and rising out of it was a large test tube. Inside, floating inside the blue liquid, was a doll-like body, female in structure, but it was featureless; no facial features, no lower extremities.

"Nepgear..." Histoire asked slowly, her voice quivering. "What _is _this?"

"This," Nepgear smirked, running a hand along the polished glass of the test tube, "is one of my finest experiments. I employed scientists from Lastation and Planeptune, and through their combined intelligence, I created this beauty — a false body, and they have a very unique purpose." Without warning, she thrust her sword into the tube, but the glass did not shatter, and the blade slid through like plastic. It pierced the body of the doll, and this caused a resonance between doll and sword; both began to glow, the doll itself transforming.

And what it became made Histoire's blood run cold.

The doll took on the appearance of a young girl with fair skin, and spiked purple hair that was neck length, with two longer locks that framed her face. Floating in the viscous blue liquid, she was not yet clothed, but her body quickly formed its own attire; that of a hoodie-dress with purple-striped cuffs, lining, as well as a purple hood. Adorned with the same "N" as Nepgear on the zipper, her legs were blue and white striped leggings, as well as purple shoes. Two plug-like hair accessories and a white choker around her neck were also quick to form.

"It can't be..." Histoire whimpered, unable to make sense of the person she saw floating within the test tube. "Neptune..."

_To Be Continued_


	3. The Fallen Ones

**Spoiler Warning:** _This story contains spoilers from Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. If you have any intention on playing the game in the future, do not proceed if you do not want the ending ruined. If you've seen the ending, or have no intention to play the game, please proceed and enjoy the ride._

Floating in a stasis tank at the side of Nepgear was a young girl with fair skin, and spiked purple hair that was neck length, with two longer locks that framed her face. Her attire consisted of a hoodie-dress with purple-striped cuffs, lining, as well as a purple hood. Adorned with the same "N" as Nepgear on the zipper, her legs were blue and white striped leggings, as well as purple shoes; in addition, she possessed two plug-like hair accessories and a white choker around her neck.

"It can't be..." Histoire whimpered, unable to make sense of the person she saw floating within the test tube. "Neptune..."

"Oh...but it _is_," Nepgear relished the dread on Histoire's face, her eyes glinting like mad. "These dolls, through the combination of the sciences of Lastation and Planeptune, are capable of siphoning a portion of the soul that my sword has absorbed, and sealing it within these bodies; altering their appearance and powers to match that of the soul."

"Nepgear, you...!" Histoire snarled, suddenly furious. "Necromancy!? Of all things to dabble in, you fool with the souls of the dead!?"

"I've been tampering with souls for a century by now, Histoire!" Nepegar replied, extending her arms out as if embracing the air. "Your Goddesses are gone; their souls exist to fuel my Gehaburn, and now, to fuel these dolls!" Gripping the blade, she slashed the tank, causing the viscid liquid exploding out in all directions as the tank gave way; Neptune herself fell to her knees, the liquid slipping down around her body like syrup as she laid motionless.

"Do you...intend to have her fight?" Schwarz choked on her words, unable to react properly. How could Nepgear do this to anyone, even worse, her own sister, to be used to fight as a tool.

"I'm going to be in trouble if she's capable of using HDD..." Schwarz noticed her entire body had gone numb; Nepgear was challenging enough, and she had yet to use the Hard Drive Divinity — a transformation that allowed a CPU to assume their true form of Goddess — if she had to face two, she didn't think she would be able to handle it.

"Now now.." Nepgear drawled, waggling her finger in Schwarz's direction. "No quaking, none of that. Let me quell your fear; a Soulless Goddess is incapable of HDD. HDD is the power of the soul of a CPU — if your Soul is damaged, a fragment removed, your power becomes hampered, and no amount of faith is going to restore your soul. I _could _have restored Neptune's soul to this doll entirely; controlling it would have been simple. However, the Gehaburn requires the majority of her soul to remain finalized."

As Schwarz began to breath a sigh of relief, Histoire knew something was wrong. Individually, Neptune was powerful; physically, she was the strongest Goddess after Blanc. But there had to be a reason...a reason Nepgear would go out of her way to summon a Goddess who could not fight with her full strength.

"I can see you feel quite safe," Nepgear smiled to herself and Schwarz's feeling of comfort was quickly drained. Nepgear's smile did nothing to reassure her at all, and the pale Goddess got up off her throne, extended a hand upwards. There was a small flash of light, bright and purple, and a strange, glowing purple Disc manifested itself in Nepgear's hand. "Did you think I wouldn't have a way around this?"

Histoire felt a chill come over her as she laid eyes on the disc on Nepgear's palm, floating, glowing with a soft, purple light. "...The Purple Disc!"

"What's a Purple Disc?" Schwarz, once again, could not understand what was unfolding. Her mother hadn't installed this information into her, and yet she seemed so terrified. If Schwarz hadn't been told, how important could it be? Right?

Wrong.

"The Purple Disc is one of several Mascot Characters..." Histoire explained quickly. "They reside in each Nation, and are meant to keep them safe in the absence of a Goddess; the opposite side of an Oracle, who handles the diplomatic responsibilities of a CPU in their absence, while the Mascot handles the defence. However, they have another purpose..."

"Power enhancements!" Nepgear cried out bombastically. She walked over towards Neptune, lifting the girl roughly by her hood; she made no movement, truly like a doll. "We relied on these Mascots a century ago to stop the Deity of Sin, Arfoire. Now, they will help me again!"

"_You're...horrible...!_" A soft voice, feminine and wracked with pain, came from the Disc, shocking Schwarz, as she hadn't known it was alive.

"I know." Nepgear replied, smiling widely as she forced the Disc into Neptune's body. There was an explosion of light, purple tinged with white, powerful energies that cause Nepgear to let go of Neptune as the girl fell to the ground, landing on her feet. A powerful aura now surrounded her; the Purple Disc's power was coursing through her body. Her eyes, blank and lifeless, looked right into Schwarz's as the former Goddess generated a katana within her hand through the same data-like energy that Nepgear and Schwarz relied on to form weapons.

"Schwarz, brace yourself!" Histoire called out, and Schwarz gripped her chakrams.

"Parroting superior fighters won't help you here, girl!" Nepgear's laughter was almost a mad cackle at this point. "Neptune, _rend her asunder_!"

Upon receiving the verbal command from her younger sister, Neptune crouched, her sword raised to her side.

"You're really going to make your sister fight me!?" Schwarz shouted, indignant. "You...you're a monster!"

"I'm the best kind." Nepgear admitted, a chuckle escaping her throat. "The _thinking_ kind. Of course I'd use my sister to fight for me. Histoire won't allow you to kill her; she couldn't possibly allow you to kill her. She wouldn't be able to watch Neptune killed in front of her eyes while she can't lift a finger to do a thing! The fact that she succumbs to pitiful emotion makes this my advantage!"

"You...!" Histoire hissed; unable to deny this. She had come her with Schwarz to _save _Neptune. Killing her in this form could damage her soul and make it impossible to retrieve her from the Gehaburn sword.

"Now Neptune! Kill them!" Nepgear ordered once more, and Neptune launched herself forward towards Schwarz, propelling herself with such force that the ground behind her exploding in a mass of debris. Schwarz barely had time to brace herself as Neptune closed in, swinging her blade downward. At the last second, the young girl thrust her hands upward, using the flat side of the chakrams to block the blade.

"Urk...!" The force of the collision shocked Schwarz; her entire body rocked with the power of Neptune's strike. Under her feet, the ground cracked and exploded as the girl began to slip.

"She's losing ground...!" Histoire gasped. "I can't believe it...Neptune's ridiculously strong...I may have overestimated Schwarz's strength..."

Her eyes blank and unfeeling, Neptune continued to force Schwarz backwards, the combined power of the former Goddess and the Mascot Character overpowering the younger, inexperienced girl. Raising her sword up, releasing her pressure on the girl, Neptune spun on her heel, slamming her dominant leg into Schwarz's side.

The girl's eyes widened as everything felt like it slowed down. Blood escaped her mouth, several ribs shattered, and finally, her felt like she had been shot out of a cannon, slicing through the air as she slammed into the wall. Nepgear took notice that it was wise to reinforce the marble she'd constructed this tower out of; this battle would have destroyed her throne room otherwise.

"Schwarz!" Histoire shouted at the top of her tiny lungs, gripping the edge of her book. This was too much...! She couldn't just watch, even if it was Neptune who was their opponent.

Schwarz slipped from the wall, falling hard onto the polished white floor, some of the rubble crumbling down with her. Still conscious, the girl didn't know if she could move. Her entire body was racked with pain; this, however, wasn't going to stop Neptune, who was proceeding in Schwarz's direction at a rapid pace.

"Healing powers...come to me...!" Schwarz shouted as loud as she could, as her body was immersed in a magical energy. She could feel her ribs repairing, bones reattaching, and small wounds patching back up. She forced herself to her feet, gripping her chakrams tightly. "_Here she comes..._" The girl braced herself, raising her weapons in self-defence.

Neptune raised her katana to her side, and she began to crouch, like an animal about to pounce. The ground beneath her began to crack and give way as her power was exerted upon it.

"Schwarz!" Histoire cried out, recognizing the posture immediately. "Be on your guard! This is the Cross Combination!"

Schwarz readied herself as Neptune launched forward, the ground exploding with the force of the woman's power. She _had _to match the former Goddess move for move, or no amount of healing would be able to patch her up this time. Neptune closed in, swinging her blade in a downward strike at Schwarz. The younger girl was ready this time, using the flat side of her chakrams to deflect the blow; metal clashed with metal, sparks flying. It didn't end here, however, and the exchange of blows sped up, becoming difficult for eyes to follow as Neptune and Schwarz danced around each other; the ground cracked and blasted apart as they cavorted to the tango of murder.

Within the flurry of blows, Schwarz put considerable effort into parrying a side-strike from Neptune's katana, and thrust her free hand forward; blood spurted from Neptune's face. Schwarz had managed to cut the girl without much difficulty, causing Neptune to jump back as if on reflex.

"_Impossible...!_" Nepgear thought, incredulously. She gripped the armrest of her throne, cracking the stone to dust. "_She's...adapting to Neptune's fighting style as she fights...!? What kind of program is this? How did you make this girl, Histoire...?_"

Neptune gained further distance, her empty eyes locked firmly on Schwarz. The air grew chilly as she began to emit further power; another attack was forming. Purple, translucent cubes began to form in the air, combining to form the shape of a sword.

"_The 32-Bit Mega Blade..._" Nepgear mused, projecting a beehive barrier around her throne. "_I suppose Neptune has decided close combat is no longer a feasible option, and wants to end this now._

"Schwarz, erect a defence!" Histoire was practically howling; she knew the force behind every one of Neptune's moves, and the 32-Bit Mega Blade was truly an example of overkill. Within three seconds, the sprite conjured her own protective barrier around herself; a flickering sphere of soft energy.

The sword was now entirely solidified; the blade was a soft blue-hue, flickering like data, with a matching handle. The guard, if there could be said to be one, was shaped like a gear, as translucent as the cubes which formed the sword. If that fell, it would destroy the entire building...!

"Deflector Cone System MK II — LB-DS!" Grinding the two chakrams against each other to produce volatile, sparking energy, Schwarz thrust them up and spread her arms wide, creating a large, flat barrier, which extended from wall to wall; much like Nepgear's barrier, it was a beehive. From this ceiling of sorts, a myriad of smaller barriers extended upwards, creating an 11-multi-layered defence. "_ I can't take the brunt of that attack..._" Schwarz thought to herself. "_ If I do, it's over! I have to count on this barrier!_"

"_ She's creative...!_" Nepgear hated to admit that she was impressed; a beehive, multi-layered barrier. She wouldn't have thought of it. Even more creative, neither barrier was the same in its honeycomb design; something about that caught her eye. An obvious trap?

Neptune, being unable to form rational thought, did not bother to take Schwarz's barrier into consideration. She swung her hand down, index and middle fingers pointed at Schwarz. The 32-Bit Mega Blade made its descent, falling rapidly. It breached the first layer of the barrier like a cannon shattering glass, but as it fell, crashing through several of the other layers. A bead of sweat began to drop down Schwarz's face; was it not enough?

_BOOM! _

A large explosion rocked the entire tower, destroying the walls with ease as it shot upwards towards the ceiling in a brilliant flash of purple and white light. Everyone on the ground shielded their eyes; what just happened? As the light died down, Schwarz looked up, and saw her barrier was still intact; with only two of it's eleven layers, including the ceiling layer, remaining. Schwarz, while feeling relieved, was in a state of slight shock. Eleven layers, and only the last-resort ceiling layer and the layer above it remained. She hadn't expected the trap to be triggered; the barrier was set so that there would be one volatile barrier among the numerous eleven set; the barrier with the widest spaces between the beehives was meant to absorb the impact of a blow, and reflect it backwards.

"_ She packs so much raw power..._" Schwarz swallowed loudly. If Neptune was this powerful without HDD...just how strong would she be if she could actually use it? The remaining layers shattered, and the cold breeze of the crisp night blew around the girls; the moon casts its own eerie light down on the tower, giving Schwarz a chill unrelated to the cold.

"She's as strong as she ever was..." Histoire murmured. "When its put to this kind of use...Neptune's power can be terrifying."

"And yet Schwarz refuses to buckle under my doll's strength," Nepgear observed, her barrier fading away. "You've gotten your hands on a fine project, Histoire. _An utter pain in my side!_" The last phrase was a hiss; violent and snake-like, so unlike Nepgear that Histoire shuddered.

The sound of glass hitting the ground was heard as Schwarz's remaining barrier layers shattered; her ruby eyes were locked on Neptune. She had to end this; she wasn't fueled by endless energy, even she had her limits. If Neptune kept pushing her like this, she might actually lose.

Neptune took another stance, her blade pointed directly at Schwarz this time. She poised, about to make her move —

"Stop, Neptune," Nepgear called out, her voice smooth, almost silky. She pressed the same small button once more, and the floor her side began to make incisions in itself, and rising out of it were several large test tubes. Six in total.

"No..." Schwarz and Histoire stopped, staring dead at these new tubes. Just as with the previous, floating inside the blue liquid, were doll-like bodies female in structure, but they were all featureless; no facial features, no lower extremities. The two were frozen; they knew what was coming, who didn't?

"Schwarz!" Histoire jerked herself back into motion. "Destroy them! Destroy the tanks!" Never before had she ever been so shrill in her life; if Nepgear managed to pour souls into those dolls, those faux bodies, there would be nothing they could do.

"R-right!" Schwarz made a mad dash towards the tanks; Nepgear's face, however, split into a wide grin as the young girl felt herself hit hard in the back by a foot — Neptune had used her own katana to propel herself forward, landing a dynamic kick into Schwarz's back, knocking the girl to the ground, stunned.

"N-no...!" The black-haired girl choked, trying to raise a hand. She had to do something...anything...!

Nepgear strolled over to the tanks, and, in turn, stabbed each of them with her sword. To be correct, it was more like a slashing motion; the tank seemed to absorb the single blow as the sword and bodies resonated; both glowing, the portions of soul transferring from blade to body. The bodies began to gain features Histoire knew only too well; flowing hair in various colours, black, brown, and blonde. The bodies shrunk or grew to accommodate the appearances of these souls, and their attire changed to match.

The reanimated beings were Noire, Uni, Vert, Blanc, Ram, and Rom, the CPUs and CPU Candidates of Lastation, Leanbox, and Lowee respectively.

"You...!" Histoire could barely choke out the word due to shock. These bodies were so familiar to her, so heartwrenching. "You cold, unfeeling creature!"

"That actually doesn't have a bad ring to it," Nepgear replied, chuckling darkly. "Are you actually surprised, Histoire? Could you be so blind? After reanimating Neptune, did it not once cross your mind that I would bring in each and every CPU and Candidate that my sword has ever absorbed if the situation went south!?"

"All the CPUs!?" Schwarz was struggling to her feet now, and Neptune did not bother to stop her. Why should she? Everything was going as her Master wanted, after all. "Don't you have a soul!?"

Nepgear flashed the Gehaburn blade in the glow of the moon. "I have several." She raised her free hand into the air, and a flash of lights in varying colours; blues and greens, flashing and spiraling in Nepgear's hand. In her palm were six glowing discs; two Black Discs, emitting a bright blue light, a Green Disc, with it's vivid green light, and three White Discs, each casting a white glow as soft as the moon.

"Impossible...! You couldn't possibly have...!"

"Couldn't possibly have what?" Nepgear cut through Histoire's speech as easily as she vivisected each of the tanks, causing the viscous liquid to spill onto the ground as the reborn Goddesses slumped to their knees in the blue fluid, unmoving. "Multiplied a Mascot Character? Bah! It's simple alchemy! During the past century, I picked up various other arts besides combat and magic — a woman in a far off land was only too happy to take on a new student!" She couldn't help but laugh. "She was a bit clumsy...I think I found her washing down a river into the ocean..." Nepgear almost seemed to enjoy these memories. One-by-one, she thrust the Discs into the hearts of each CPU, and, as if resonating with each other, their powers exploded into the sky, bright pillars of blue, green, white, and even pink, spiraling high into the air.

Schwarz was shaking; the sheer display of power from the former Goddesses was immense; Neptune had been difficult enough, and she was only just now adjusting to how Neptune fought. To even try and tango with six more opponents was surely suicide...!

"Well, girls...shall we play a one-sided slaughter?" Nepgear extended a hand, making a grasping motion towards the air, as if mangling it, her maniacal smile wider than ever.

Noire was the first to make her move, she dashed in, rapier at her side, before leaping, slamming her heel straight into Schwarz's face, knocking the younger girl high into the air. Noire pursued her, spinning in the air without aid, her kicks slamming into Schwarz like a ballerina soldier, before whirling around and slashing the young fighter with her blade. Blood spurted as the two descended, Schwarz landing on the ground with a large crash.

"Schwarz!" Histoire screamed, as high as she could. It didn't do any good, however, as Uni, the younger sister of Noire, walked over to Schwarz, raising her enlarged rifle. Histoire, however, should be worrying about herself, as Vert descended upon the Oracle with her spear. "N-!"

"Modified Spell — Ice Coffin!" A soft, feminine voice called out this name of this spell as a large sheet of ice erupted from the ground, encasing Histoire and Schwarz in a defensive sheet of ice. They weren't frozen, merely protected, as Uni and Vert's attacks were rejected; the surface of the ice not allowing breach.

"Can it be...?" Histoire recognized this modification — she knew of only one woman who could pull off this spell. A red, fluttering coat soon proved her assumption correct, as the ice shattered and the Goddesses retreated to Nepgear's side to gauge the new threat.

"M-Mina!" Histoire was shocked. "You made it...wait, all of you made it!" To the surprise of nearly everyone, standing between Schwarz, Histoire, and certain death, were the Oracles of each Nation, Mina, Kei, and Chika.

"We've finished our preparations, Histoire." Kei said, brandishing a broadsword with a black blade and silver edge.

"The counterattack can begin!" Chika crowed, twirling a spear in her arms.

_To Be Continued_


	4. Lift the Limit — THEOTOKOS

**Spoiler Warning:** _This story contains spoilers from Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. If you have any intention on playing the game in the future, do not proceed if you do not want the ending ruined. If you've seen the ending, or have no intention to play the game, please proceed and enjoy the ride._

"M-Mina!" Histoire was shocked. "You made it...wait, all of you made it!" To the surprise of nearly everyone, standing between Schwarz, Histoire, and certain death, were the Oracles of each Nation, Mina, Kei, and Chika.

"We've finished our preparations, Histoire," Kei said, brandishing a broadsword with a black blade and silver edge.

"The counterattack can begin!" Chika crowed, twirling a spear in her arms.

"The Oracles..." Nepgear's eye twitched in annoyance; a minor upset, this could prove to be.

"What's this!?" Mina's eyes widened in shock; standing before them all were the Goddesses and the candidates...certainly they'd been sealed, hadn't they!?"

"The Goddesses, reanimated through Lastation and Planeptune technology," Histoire explained quickly. "What you see before you are the legitimate articles; she portioned out their souls into artificial bodies designed for this purpose!"

A look of complete disgust crossed Kei's face; odd, for a woman who rarely showed any emotion at all. "If I'd known my nation's technology was being used for something like this...Noire...!"

"Vert!" A pained cry came from Chika's throat as she gauged the situation. To see her beloved Vert standing among the other Goddesses, devoid of any emotion, was a painful sight for this girl.

"Chika, control yourself!" Mina insisted urgently. "We have a mission to fulfill!"

"Does that mean you've actually completed it?" Histoire asked in wonder. Certainly, she had given them this task, but, for it to have been finished so quickly...she should be thankful the other Oracles are competent.

"We did say the preparations were complete, didn't we, Histoire?" Mina asked cheekily. "Chika, our trump card!"

"R-right!" The green-haired woman reached into her ample bosom and pulled out a glowing Crystal; the very sight of it caused Npegear to jerk back in shock, but, in return, seemed to breathe energy into Schwarz the moment its light shone. "Schwarz, take this!" She tossed the crystal in the direction of the young girl, who caught it.

"This...it can't be...Sharicite!?" This explained, to Schwarz, why she could feel herself rejuvenating just by being close to it. Sharicite...the faith of individuals condensed into a solidified form...the power source for a CPU. She couldn't help but smile as she turned to look at Nepgear, the Sharicite gripped in her hands.

"Sharicite...you...of course...!" The silver-haired girl slapped herself in the forehead, amazed at her own stupidity. "Why didn't I see it...!?"

"Now you realize it, Nepgear," Histoire floated over towards Schwarz; she felt confident now, confident they could win. "We didn't simply create a human to fight you; to fight and defeat a CPU, you need the power of a CPU. And that's what Schwarz is!"

"That explains it all...!" Nepgear seemed to be wrestling with her own emotions at this point. "When I first saw you, the Gehaburn thirsted for your soul...and it still does...every last ounce of it...I made a mistake..." She was laughing mad, unable to restrain herself. "When we first met, _I should have run you right through!_"

"And that mistake was yours," Schwarz replied airily. "But with this Sharicite, I have a chance! You know what this is...Sharicite, the faith of people converted into a solid form. CPUs run on the faith of their people...but you're different; sick, and twisted. You get your power from the fear of your people. By ruling the way you do, everyone has become terrified; and you _feed _on it like a sick, twisted parasite!"

"Say what you will, there is no amount of faith that can give you any kind of power!" Nepgear shot back fiercely. "I own this world, I own these humans, and I own their lives! The faith of a few small humans can't affect the tide of this battle!"

Schwarz was stunned into a brief silence; she hated to admit it, but Nepgear had a point. Even if they'd managed to gather the faith of several humans, what good would it do?

"Ohohohoho!" Chika let out a disturbing laugh, befitting of a noblewoman, twirling her lance as she walked forward. "Do you think we came here so unprepared, Nepgear? We're working with Kei and Histoire, certainly you don't think we haven't covered the holes in a plan like this?"

"The faith we give Schwarz is our faith and our faith alone," Kei replied, brandishing her sword once more. "Our faith, refined, and multiplied, into a power that resembles the faith of thousands. With Sharicite of quality like this, it's the equivalent of being backed by an entire nation for a short period of time."

"Schwarz, use it," Mina urged, gripping the girl's shoulders. "Our hope lies with you. We'll handle the Goddesses. Use that Sharicite and focus on Nepgear."

"Go on, Schwarz," Histoire smiled. "We can handle this. I know you can do it."

"...Yes, Mama!" Schwarz nodded, and the Sharicite began to float in front of her, glowing with a soft, purple light, bathing the girl in its essence. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep, embracing the light, absorbing the power into her body. The glow faded, only to surge forward once again in a large pillar of light erupting from Schwarz's body. She was activating HDD.

"_It's happening...!_" Nepgear shielded her eyes from the bright light, having no choice but to wait this out; that energy pillar would reject any attempt at a break from the outside.

A large blade sliced from the inside of the energy pillar, cleaving it in half. The energy shattered, revealing the newly transformed Schwarz. Had those present not been here before the transformation, they would have assumed the girl who stood before them was someone entirely new — certainly, no Goddess but Neptune had ever exhibited such a massive physical change before when using the Hard Drive Divinity.

"This is...me?" Schwarz looked down at her herself, her hands, her feet, and certainly, she was right to be surprised. If she had access to a mirror, she wouldn't have seen the childish girl with black hair and ruby eyes; in it's place was a tall, voluptuous woman with creamy, pale skin, vivid blue eyes with a "power" symbol as opposed to pupils — the hallmark of a CPU — and bright silver hair tied in twintails. Her outfit, like all outfits of a CPU, was a form-fitting plugsuit — black in colour, with the armor encasing her neck down to her collarbone, leaving her cleavage on display as it encased her breasts from the side; the armor also extended down her sides, following the curves of her body, before utterly stopping in what resembles the end of a one-piece swimsuit. Her arms were also covered in this strange armor, and the portion covering her stomach was translucent, and light blue in colour. Attached to her hips were two large, curved mechanical attachments, and she wore leggings of a similar black colour that ended in mechanical-like heels. Behind the girl were six, mechanical wings, floating, unattached, that allowed her to float in the air. The most shocking change, however, was not her matured body, but the weapon that floated behind her, as if suspended on its own power. It resembled a chakram in the loosest sense; it retained the curved black blade with the silver edge, but it now possessed a very straight, gripping handle, and it no longer appeared as a traditionally smooth blade; instead, the weapon, like Schwarz's outfit, had become very mechanical.

"HDD..." Schwarz closed her hands, breathing quietly. "This power...I've never felt anything quite like it..." She could feel herself almost trembling, not from fear, but from excitement. She could feel the rush now; with this power, she might actually have a chance. "So this is my own CPU form...but 'Schwarz' won't do now. Ebony Heart. That's what I will call myself."

"I see," Nepgear gripped Gehaburn in her hands, finally standing up off her throne for the first time in quite awhile. "Alright...if that's how you want to play the game..." A smile slipped across her face; one of a madwoman who was about to risk it all. "Hard Drive Divinity." A pillar of light erupted from Nepgear's body, shooting into the sky; surrounding it appeared to be corrupted data; blackened with the taint of the young woman's soul.

"I should have known it wouldn't have been easy," Schwarz couldn't help but sigh as she allowed Nepgear's transformation to finish.

With a mighty thrust, a black blade with a silver edge was thrust from inside the energy pillar, and it was sliced directly upwards, destroying it just like Schwarz had destroyed her own. And the woman that emerged was truly shocking to see, for the Oracles at the least; to them, it looked absolutely nothing like the Purple Sister they were so used to seeing. Floating in the air before them was a regal, elegant woman; her hair was a bright silver sheen, contrasting the dark silver Nepgear's had been before. Her eyes, when they opened, were a piercing blue, complete with a "power symbol" inside. Her outfit, like Schwarz's, was a plugsuit, form-fitting, and black in colour. However, her's appeared to be less mechanical and fit for someone in a position of power. Her neck was encased in a collar-like piece, black with blue underfrills, extending to nearly her shoulders. The true armor encasing began around her breasts, which had substantially increased in size, wrapping around the sides and extending down her sides and hips, much like the plugsuit donned by Schwarz, ending in what resembled a one-piece swimsuit. Her cleavage, while effectively exposed, was covered in a blue, skintight material that followed the contours of her breasts. From the bottom of her beasts to her stomach, the outfit became blue and semi-transparent with black straps wrapped around it. From the underside of her breasts to her back, purple sections of the outfit became apparent. Her arms were sleeved in similar material, entirely black with blue sections at the top of the forearm. On her wrists, the sleeves fanned and frilled out; her legs were encased in black leggings with a pointed mechanical heel. Floating behind her were two large wings, made of pure energy. These gifted her with flight.

"It's been so long..." Nepgear's voice in her transformed state was a little deeper, but soft and melodical. "A century in fact — Purple Sister has come back to the battlefield." She gripped her weapon; a black blade with a silver edge. Like the weapons of any transformed CPU, it was highly mechanical; mounted on Nepgear's arm, this weapon was a highly functional gunblade.

"I should have expected you'd use HDD." Schwarz couldn't help but let out a resigned sigh; her eyes rested on Nepgear's beautiful new form. "I suppose this at the very least evens our playing field."

"Evens it out?" Nepgear laughed; a cold, mirthless laugh that didn't reach her icy blue eyes. The two girls seemed to float around each other now, slowly, sizing each other up. The CPUs and Oracles watched in utter silence. Nepgear cast Schwarz a sharp, appraising look. "To even out the gap between you and I would imply you were ever close to my threshold to begin with. An artificial CPU is nothing compared to the likes of one born into this kind of power."

"Artificial though I may be, I'm everything that's needed right now." Schwarz replied, a smile crossing her face; one full of confidence, and determination. "My mother and her comrades are behind me; their power is inside me, lifting me up, I can feel their wishes and encouragement, but most importantly, their hope. I won't lose to you, who relies on fear and subjugation to get her powers."

"Show me then — the power of your 'hope'."

At this challenge, the two CPUs rose into the air, floating weightlessly despite the large weapons they carried. Rising high into the sky, above the ruins of the throne room of the Nep Tower, the two faced off. Under the soft glow of the moon, they coated themselves in light; dark purple and bright red, respectively, before taking a crouch in mid-air.

"CPUs...destroy the Oracles!" Nepgear called down to her mindless drones.

"Mother! Everyone! Watch your backs!" Schwarz shouted back.

The two sides readied themselves; the girls, and their armies. Beneath Nepgear and Schwarz, large, rune-like magic circles formed...and they tore through the air, clashing into each other in a violent display of power that shook the tower itself.

"My...I suppose we don't have time to simply laze around..." Mina walked forward as the Goddesses took their battle stances. "Our little Schwarz is working hard; it's our turn as well!"

"How shall we handle this?" Histoire asked, her hands glowing bright with what appeared to be magical energy. "I'd suggest handling our own nations ourselves, but I don't suppose that's feasible."

"Teamwork is best in a situation such as this," Kei replied, running her hand through her hair. "We're outnumbered; it's best to cover each others faults by working together. Our survival percentage will be much higher if we don't fight them alone."

"What are we waiting for?" Chika asked impatiently. "My priority is Vert!"

"We've seen the plaque..." Mina couldn't help but sound a bit impatient herself; not with their progress, but with Chika's single-mindedness. "However, they won't wait forever."

And this was true; like a perfectly organized army, the Goddesses gathered their weapons and dashed forward in unison. Steeling their own resolve, the Oracles made their preparations; there could be no room for error, no wasted action now. Noire dashed towards Mina first, brandishing a rapier; thrusting it to her side, it erupted in a glow of violent light, transforming as she imbued it with her power.

"_Oh my...if that hits, it could really hurt._" Mina pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, the lenses flashing in the moonlight. She lightly raised a hand, pointing her fingers softly at Noire. "Mirror Flower." Calling out the name of her spell, she generated a glass-like magic circle in front of her body, just as Noire swung her blade. The rainbow sword clashed with the circle, which shone brightly, before sending a blast of pure force back at Noire, knocking her backwards as the circle shattered. This distraction, however, was all Vert needed to take to Mina's back, raising her lance...

"Mina, get down!" Kei called out, moving in at a blinding speed; she thrust the hilt of her sword right into Vert's stomach, stunning the woman and sending her careening backwards...right into Noire, who was trying to stand on her feet. The unlikely duo slammed into one of the broken walls.

"So fast...!" Mina couldn't help but gawk for a second. "Now that I take a moment to think about it, I've never seen you fight, Kei."

"Lastation doesn't reveal it's secrets to other nations quite so easily." Kei replied; to her, this was classy wit.

"A little back up would be nice!" Chika snapped; she and Neptune were currently spiralling around each other, lance and sword clashing. Chika thrust her lance forward, locking with Neptune's katana, before forcing it downward, catching the girl off guard. Slamming the blunt side of the lance into the former Goddesses' stomach, and then swung upwards, propelling Neptune into the air. "Kei! Mina! Cover Histoire!"

This was good advice, as Histoire was severely outnumbered; Uni, Ram, and Rom were launching their assault. Uni crouched on one knee, raising her large rifle to her side and pulling the trigger. As opposed to a bullet, the gun fired a large laser straight from the tip; the force of which nearly knocked Uni back as it tore through the air, ripping up the marble floor.

Histoire reacted quickly, extending her arms out to either side of her body. Like Mina, she summoned a magical circle that absorbed the impact of the laser entirely, leaving her with absolutely no damage. "These girls are feisty..." She murmured, and a blast of cold wind rushed past her. "What!?" Her attention having been focused entirely on Uni's gunfire was her error; the twins were glowing bright with magical energy.

"Histoire, look out!" Mina called out frantically as she immediately left Kei's side to try and deal with these children.

"_The Ice Coffin!_" Histoire recognized the stance and the phase of magical energy; she couldn't deflect both of these spells. The twin children slammed their staves into the ground, creating a magic circle beneath Histoire. Unable to react, the ice erupted from the magical circle, surrounding Histoire in a violent ice pillar.

"Histoire!" Mina skidded to a stop in front of the ice, Histoire's shocked expression frozen on her face inside the crystalline structure. "Kei! I need your assistance; free Histoire from the ice. I'll deal with the children!"

"You always make these impossible requests of me," Kei couldn't help but sigh as she walked over towards Histoire...only to be utterly stunned as she saw the girl's eyes glowing from inside. "Mina, it would appear Histoire is capable of handling herself; let us focus on these children together."

Mina conjured a staff in her hands, identical to the ones wielded by the young candidates. From the corner of her eye, she saw Histoire's eyes emitting a faint glow. "I see what you mean. Alright then, Kei. Assist me in disciplining the young ones." She gripped her staff, pointing it directly at Uni, Ram, and Rom. "Come now, girls. I taught the two of you better than this, and I'm certain Noire raised a better sister than what I see now."

"Only for the first century or so," Kei quipped, unable to help herself. To be honest, Noire's skills as a sibling needed polishing; even the emotionally challenged Kei knew this.

"Regardless..." Mina replied.

_CRASH! _

A resounding crash shook the tower, alerting Mina and Kei to the resumed presence of Chika and Neptune, who were once again locked in fierce combat. Chika was beginning to look slightly haggard, as if the tango with Neptune was getting to her. Her hair was frayed and she seemed to be cut in various places. Neptune, meanwhile, was as porcelain as she had been from the start.

_SLICE! _With quick action, Chika sliced off Neptune's sword arm; the weapon clattered to the ground as the arm fell straight off her body, flinging into the air.

It was also at this moment that Vert and Noire returned to the battlefield, whatever damage that Mina and Kei had done to them reversed.

"They're flawless..." Mina's eyes were wide as saucers; had they not been damaged at all?

"Impossible..." Kei was stunned; certainly there had to be some marking, right?

"Analyzation complete," Histoire's voice, muffled, sounded from inside the ice, which began to crack and shattered in a blast of light. Large chunks of ice hit the ground as Histoire shook her head, removing fragments. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect; at that moment, Neptune's arm began to regenerate; bone, muscle, sinew, everything was restoring itself to it's former state.

"High speed regeneration!?" Chika gasped, gripping her lance. "If that's the case-!"

"No...that's not it. Not entirely," Kei shook her head. "I didn't think it would come to this...Histoire, do you not realize it as well?"

"I wish I hadn't witnessed it," Histoire replied morosely. "What you're witnessing, Mina, is the result of nano-machinery — the result of a joint effort between Lastation and Planeptune. Our research was still in the development stages — it was meant to be nanomachines for the purpose of the ultimate portable gaming...however, it would appear Nepgear found our blueprints and twisted them."

"Nano-machines that regenerate physical matter..." If she was completely honest with herself, Kei was impressed by Nepgear's tenacity. To abuse her nation's technology to this extent...was this indignation she was feeling?

"I'm not sure if we should consider ourselves fortunate or unfortunate." Mina stated, her eyes on Neptune's regeneration process. "This means we don't need to hold back in our effort to hold them off."

"That's true." Kei concurred, immediately realizing the advantages of such a situation. They only needed to keep the Goddesses at bay, however, if they had this kind of regeneration process, then they wouldn't need to hold back their stronger techniques.

"They're coming; raise your guard!" Histoire commanded, and the other three followed her lead. Vert moved first this time, conjuring a magic circle by slamming her lance into the air; a green magic circle formed from the point of impact, and Chika was the first to register the danger.

"Everyone, get down!" She yelled frantically; a large, twisted spear erupted from the circle, shooting straight forward at the Oracles. Kei was the first to react, leaping before the other Oracles, using the flat side of her blade as a shield; absorbing the impact as the spear lifted her off her feet.

Blanc took it upon herself to make the follow-up attack, making a wide leap, using Neptune as a ground to create a double jump, and slamming her hammer into Kei's back.

"Urk!" Kei let out a pained gasp; the blow caught her off guard and sent her hurtling down towards the marble floor, and straight through it, crashing several feet below until she wasn't seen again.

"Kei!" Chika diverted her attention, shrieking as her comrade was hammered down by the violent, flat-chested menace.

"Focus, Chika!" Mina ordered. "If we lose our footing now, were finished!" She raised her staff into the air. "I'll hold them off for now." Cold winds began to spiral in the air, focusing directly around the tip of the staff. Mina's robes and hair began to flow in the currents as the entire area was drafted into a chill.

"Mina, certainly not that spell!" Histoire protested. "It's not meant for group combat, you know that!"

"I know...but it is meant for taking out multiple opponents," Mina argued. "I wouldn't use this unless I didn't have confidence in my comrades to keep themselves safe. Let me focus, and you will all be unharmed."

Neptune and Uni detected danger first; raising their weapons, Neptune lunged forward as Uni began to load a shot into her rifle.

"Skaldi!" Mina bellowed the spell's name into the heavens; from her staff, a flash of light emanated as the chill increased. Within seconds, she released a flurry of ice from her staff that spread out in every direction; the tower, the throne, everything began to freeze over. Neptune ceased movement as she became encased in ice; the same happened to Noire, Vert, Uni, Ram, Rom, and Blanc, the latter suspended in air. Everything was frozen over; petrified as ice.

"This spell...!?" Chika breathed, in awe. "Mina, your magic is amazing, truly!"

"It's only temporary..." Mina replied, sounding slightly worn. "Skladi...also known as the Frozen World...against conventional opponents, it's a sure-fire-kill. But the Nano-machines in their bodies will analyze to this spell and adapt, much like Histoire did. We can't have more than ten minutes."

"Mina, go tend to Kei," Histoire suggested. "We need to use this time to recover."

"O-of course!" Chika stammered, rushing off to dig Kei out of the frozen marble.

"_Schwarz...how are you fairing?_" Histoire's thoughts drifted to her artificial daughter; she could hear the sound of the battle roaring into the distance, but by this point, she couldn't see them anymore. They were too far in the distance, and moving too fast. "_I believe in you! _"

_To Be Continued_

* * *

**Author's Note**: _I know I said the fourth chapter would be the last chapter, but as it happens, if I did that, it would simply be too long. As such, this will be continuing with Nepgear and Schwarz's battle in the next chapter! I hope you all look forward to reading it as much as I am to writing it!_


	5. The Light within the Darkness

**Spoiler Warning:** _This story contains spoilers from Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. If you have any intention on playing the game in the future, do not proceed if you do not want the ending ruined. If you've seen the ending, or have no intention to play the game, please proceed and enjoy the ride._

The air vibrated under the force of the two deities that clashed above the world; shockwaves, sonic booms, the air pressure exploded, ripping into the ground and tearing it asunder. Purple Sister and Ebony Heart — Nepgear and Schwarz — were exchanging blows high above the ground, far from the Nep Tower. Nepgear made a sharp thrust with her gunblade, readily blocked by the broad weapon now wielded by Schwarz; the very impact of these two blades released another violent shock of air pressure into the sky; to those unaware on the ground, it would sound like thunder.

"You fight as if you've been using HDD all your life — you're certainly full of surprises," Nepgear said, her narrow blue eyes seeming to analyze the young woman. "How does it feel? To be a God?" She chuckled, raising a pale hand to her mouth, as if to stifle the laughter. "Isn't it magnificent!? You can feel the power flowing through your body, can't you!?"

"That's right, I can feel it," Schwarz asserted, mildly annoyed. "I wouldn't call it 'magnificent'. To be honest I'm impartial to Godhood — I don't dislike it on principle, but there's that nagging feeling in the back of my mind."

"Nagging feeling?" Nepgear pried softly, peering at Schwarz out of curiousity. "And what would that be?"

"That I couldn't beat someone of your level with my own power," A goading smile crossed Schwarz's face as she said this; it was quite clear she _enjoyed _being on the same level as Nepgear.

"ARROGANT CHILD!" Nepgear roared, crossing the distance between them in seconds, slamming her knee straight into Schwarz's gut; the collision of knee on stomach was like thunder, causing Schwarz to buckle over as she was entirely winded. With great force, Nepgear grabbed Schwarz by the arm and hurled her straight down towards the planet; with a large crash, the newly formed Goddess hit the ground, creating a large, mushroom-shaped cloud of dust and debris that shot high into the air.

Schwarz forced herself up out of the rubble, rubbing her neck as she flexed her muscles. "I suppose I should have expected this much; after all, if your HDD couldn't make me budge, you wouldn't be that much of a Goddess now would you?"

Nepgear began to gnash her teeth, and almost seemed ready to rush down at the girl, before breathing slowly. "No...I'm not quite so stupid that I will let you egg me on. You've got quite the mouth on you now."

Schwarz rose up into the air slowly, until she was level with Nepgear. "Oh I know. Aren't I just a doll? But that doesn't mean I'm letting you kiss it."

"I suppose I should be grateful," Nepgear snapped back, her irritation showing through her false composure. "I haven't had such entertaining conversation in a hundred years. But I'm hoping you'll entertain me through more than just talk — if you can't match me, then this is all for naught, isn't it?"

"It won't be a case of matching you," Schwarz asserted firmly. "I know I can overtake you."

Nepgear was struggling to regain her composure before she slipped. This child was egging her on, and she knew it. If she fell for the girl's taunts now, she would make a mistake. "You're a hundred years too early to overtake me. And if you think you can overtake me, prove it," She extended a hand, beckoning Schwarz towards her, her face set. "Come at me, girl."

Glaring at each other, Purple Sister and Ebony Heart crouched in mid-air, their soft aura erupting once more around their bodies. Erupting from under the two girls were magical circles; speed-enhancers used by CPUs. Silence plagued them both as they rocketed towards each other, pushing off from the air; sonicbooms trailed behind them as the girls shot forward like missiles. Immersed in energy, all the people down below could see were streaks of bright light rebounding off each other, before streaking forward to clash again.

With each smash, sword on chakram, weapons clashing, steel sparking, a shockwave, immense and powerful reverberated throughout the area; the ground began to crack under the pressure of combatants who were too far up to properly even affect it; as Schwarz charged down towards Nepgear, her chakram collided with the transformed Gehaburn, and the girl's brute strength sent Nepgear flying, straight into a nearby mountain. The impact caused a crack to spread throughout the entire formation as it crumbled.

These were two powerful Goddesses fighting for their right to rule.

"You can get up now," Schwarz called out, goading Nepgear. "I know you're not hurt from an attack that could only level a single mountain."

There was a bright flash of light that momentarily blinded the greenhorn Goddess; emanating from the rubble that used to be a large mountain, Nepgear expelled energy from her body in all directions, lifting the rocks off her, destroying them effortlessly. She got to her feet, brushing her hair out of her eyes; in fact, ruffled hair was the only problem she seemed to be having; the clash with the mountain had done nothing but annoy her slightly.

She craned her head up to glare at Schwarz, smaller stones falling out of her brilliant silver hair. "One mountain? If that's the best you can do..." She leapt into the air, creating a massive crater from the force of her assent. "...you're going to be begging me to kill you by the time we're done."

"Oh really?" Schwarz cocked her head to the side, her aquamarine eyes piercing Nepgear's sapphire ones. Perhaps it was the HDD, but the look in Schwarz's eyes seemed almost...condescending. "Then show me the power that will make me beg. Who knows...by the time we're done, you may wind up licking my heels."

"That would be an interesting turn of events," Nepgear replied lightly. "But don't think too highly of yourself, child — arrogance leads to one's downfall, and I can't have you die too quickly on me. After all, before this is done, **I'm going to show you a terror beyond Hell!**"

"Show me then, if you're so certain," The younger goddess quipped right back. "This power of yours that makes you a devil — let me see it."

"Insolent child," Nepgear wasted no time in raising her blade, pointing it directly at Schwarz, who couldn't help but look at it curiously — what good was pointing a blade at her from that distance? "Multiple Beam Launcher!" Her voice hit the heavens as she cried out the name of her technique; bright purple energy began to glow from the tip of the blade, as well a the nozzle placed further on the back of the blade; bright, energy, plasma at its finest. It was too late for Schwarz to put up a proper guard, before the energy was released from the blade in a large, twin beam array.

"_Shit! _" The swear slipped out of Schwarz's mind as her line of sight was blocked by a mass of light; the beams had enveloped her, sending her hurtling meters back through the air before she could reach for her chakram proper; slicing the beams in half. The resulting energy spread in all directions; multiple fragments of energy, as large as small houses, collided with the ground, ripping it to pieces as it sent shrapnel in every direction.

Before Schwarz even got a chance to breathe, however, she saw a shadow looming over her, and when she looked up, her eyes were greeted by the descended form of Nepgear. Too fast for her to react to, she felt a massive force collide with her body as Nepgear swung her sword down; what followed was the sound of shattering glass. To anyone unfamiliar, this was a technique Nepgear referred to as the Panzer Blade. Unable to react, Schwarz felt her body forced up, down, left, and right through the force of a colliding blade; with the cutting cushioned by a shattering barrier that instead amplified the blunt force. Nepgear's final slash sent Schwarz hurtling towards the ground, slicing through the air at the speed she was moving.

With the pressure of the wind on her entire body, Schwarz had to struggle to regain control, using the weight of her chakram to shift her body so that she was facing downward; as she hit the ground, she extended her hand, landing in a crouching position that caused her to descend right into the ground in a large crater created from the force of impact.

Pointing the gunblade straight down, Nepgear pulled the trigger and released a volley of bullets straight down into the crater; she was unrelenting, determined to kill this girl.

Schwarz was quick to react this time; gripping the large handle on her chakram with both hands, she hoisted the giant mechanical weapon over her shoulder, pointing it directly upwards at Nepgear and her descending bullets. "RBT Kanone!" She called out; the edge of the handle began to open and span outward, creating what appeared to be a built-in cannon head. Bright blue energy began to amass in front of the weapon, spiraling and swirling into a large sphere; Schwarz released the powerful blast of plasma towards Nepgear, destroying her bullets as it enveloped the silver-haired beauty, lifting her high into the sky in a large funnel of energy.

Nepgear grabbed onto the energy, her digits grinding into the searing hot beam of malleable light; with all her strength, she bent the flow of the energy, throwing it directly upwards, towards the vast cosmos. She glared down towards the Earth, the entire landscape in her view, the blast, it seemed, had forced her quite a ways upwards. And then it happened; a crushing blow struck her chin; Schwarz had collided with the woman like thunder, her fist landing a solid blow to Nepgear, stunning her as the blow forced her higher into the air like a rocket.

Wasting no time, Schwarz pursued her, energy flowing off the young Goddess like a comet. Closing in, she gripped her giant chakram like a fan, swinging it towards Nepgear from the left; the blow was crushing, creating a giant shockwave as it collided with the elder Goddess. The resulting attack sent her hurtling off in another direction, crossing the globe as a blinding speed. "_Come on...!_" Schwarz hissed to herself as she made haste to pursue.

Surrounded by powerful wind pressure, Nepgear had to force herself upright, the very act creating a cushion of air that sent ripples throughout the land. She saw Schwarz closing in, and took her turn to act; she pushed off the air, launching herself forward at Schwarz, taking the girl by surprise as her knee forced itself into the young Goddess' stomach; flipping over Schwarz, the silver-haired Goddess then slammed her heel downward, resulting in a thunderous collision with Schwarz's skull that, once again, sent the girl on a downward spiral towards the surface of their planet.

Preventing herself was becoming a human cannonball on a journey to the centre of the planet, Schwarz forced herself to a stop well above the surface, her eyes locked on the sky where she saw a descending flash of purple; Nepgear was on the way. In a quick response, Schwarz tore upwards, the wind blowing her twin white locks back furiously. She placed a firm grip on the handle of her chakram.

"_A frontal assault...!?_" Nepgear was almost surprised, but she responded in kind, increasing speed as she raised her sword. Both CPUs closed in, tearing towards each other and the result was like the clap of the hands of a God; Nepgear slashed downward with her sword, and Schwarz made a powerful upward slash of the chakram. Both blades collided, created a powerful shockwave that resounded like a thunderclap; sparks flew as the weapons struggled against each other, before the girls ultimately slipped past each other harmlessly. Rebounded, the battle-focused deities charged at each other again, their actions repeated, time and time again; to anyone who could see the battle, it appeared as if the girls were simply reflecting the other.

"I'm quite surprised...!" Nepgear said, her eyes glinting as they struggled, pushing their weapons against the other, trying to gain the edge. "I didn't expect you to be able to fight me equally like this. A Goddess fresh out of the factory with no followers..." She slipped her sword quickly under the base of the chakram, and forced Schwarz backwards, surprising the girl, "shouldn't be able to keep up with me!" Nepgear pulled her arm back, and with a mighty forward motion, thrust the blade at Schwarz.

Desperate not to be speared like a pig, Schwarz propped her giant chakram in front of her body; the tip of the blade smashed into the makeshift shield, but neither gave way. Schwarz, however, felt herself pushed back and nearly winded, by the force of the physical blow dealt to her by the maddened Goddess. "_Such brute strength...!_" She coughed; her eyes widened as she was stunned by Nepgear thrusting the hilt of the sword into her jaw, sending the girl hurtling in the opposite direction at a blistering speed.

"Cross Formation!" Nepgear shouted the name of the attack unto the heavens, and slashed her blade in an 'X' formation; the resulting slash created a large, glowing 'X' in the air in front of Nepgear, brimming with her powerful energy. Schwarz caught herself in the air, just in time to bear witness to this formation; unease swept her body. She would need to react quickly. As these thoughts crossed her mind, the 'X' positively _erupted _into a massive beam of energy.

"Deflector Cone System MK III!" Schwarz extended a hand, projected a series of beehive shaped walls in front of her, each extended outwards, created a layered, protective shield. The pillar of plasma struck the barrier, shattering through several of its layers before it petered out, losing range and power, and unable to cope with the barrier impeding its own progress. In a blur of purple, Nepgear tore through the air, smashing through the remaining layers with ease, coming face to face with Schwarz.

Reacting on a dime, Schwarz gripped a barrier fragment, one of many floating around them by this point, and thrust it at Nepgear's face, resulting in a deep, bleeding gash that caught the Goddess by surprise. With thunderous force, Schwarz slammed her fist into Nepgear's jaw, slugging the girl with all her might. The force of the blow cracked like a whip, sforced Nepgear to fly backwards, crashing into several trees as she descended. "I need to keep her stalled...!" She told herself firmly, and raised her chakram into the air, spinning it above her head.

Nepgear pushed several large tree trunks off her body, noting she felt slightly dazed. Moving her hand along her cheek, she realized she was bleeding. "_ This girl has forced me to bleed not just once...but twice...!_ Her thoughts brimmed with a fiery indignation; this girl needed to be killed. A sudden chill crept up her spine; a gust of wind, gentle but furious, flowing in one direction — towards the girl.

Spiraling around Schwarz were mighty gusts of wind, molding themselves around the chakram, and condensing itself, transforming from wind into violent hues of crackling electricity. What was happening was obvious — Schwarz was preparing a powerful attack meant to take Nepgear down in one final strike.

"Insolent little worm...!" Nepgear clenched her fist, grinding her teeth in anger. To think that this child...this artificial abomination...would dare stand above her, and flaunt her own powers as if she was worth noticing! Nepgear had maintained her throne, and her rule, for a century. One child wouldn't be enough to overthrow her — not now, and not in another century either! "Sacrilege of this level can no longer be tolerated!" The gunblade-form of Gehaburn erupted into a mass of energy; violent flames of pure power licked at Nepgear's arm.

"Lightning Carnival!"

"Horizon Eclipse Cannon!"

The two deities bellowed, the names of their attacks reaching high into Celestia. A massive light-show flashed throughout the sky, so blinding the moon was outshone as energy and lightning erupted from Nepgear and Schwarz's respective weapons. The attacks, released simultaneously, collided at the same time, creating a furiously swirling mesh of energy at the center; electricity and purple lightning pushed and thundered; stray shocks of energy hit the ground, rupturing it and sending massive blasts of debris in the air.

Beads of sweat dripped down the combatants cheeks; both of them working their hardest to keep up their attacks from being overpowered by the other. Repeated pressure and neither gave way. It would appear both girls were equal. With nowhere to go, and neither blast giving leeway, the two masses of energy collapsed in on each other, giving way to a massive, spherical explosion that erased everything it enveloped; trees, structures, the ground, etc. Nepgear and Schwarz had their vision whited out as the explosion swallowed them whole; had the girls been bested by their own energy?

* * *

"That explosion...!" Mina gasped, the bright sphere visible in the far distance, blinding, like the sun.

"Which of them was it!?" Chika cried frantically, holding her spear up with both hands to parry an oncoming slash from Noire. "Is Schwarz alive!?"

"I don't know..." Mina's gaze was locked into the distance, but she couldn't stay focused there forever. The Oracles had the Goddesses to worry about. "_Schwarz...pull through!_"

* * *

The energy sphere collapsed, the glow fading, revealing the forms of Schwarz and Nepgear, both of whom has singed skin, plugsuits, and frayed hair, but surprisingly, seemed none the worse for wear. The answer to this lay in the flickering , shattered light around them; before the explosion hit them full force, both girls had reacted instinctively, releasing a beehive barrier of their own design at the last second to cushion the impact.

"You're looking pretty banged up..." Schwarz panted, a grin crossing her face. "I'm surprised you're still standing at all; that attack was supposed to kill you."

"Don't bother spending time worrying about my condition, girl." Nepgear spat, venom in her voice. "Focus on yourself — unlike you, I have a globe of followers to keep my stamina high. Your faith won't last long, child!"

Silence fell them both as their eyes locked; both of them determined to fell the other, they prepared themselves to launch into battle once more. Rocketing forward, Schwarz too the initiative, swinging her chakram towards the woman's head.

Nepgear quickly leaned back, Schwarz's blade slicing the air over her, the weight of the weapon dragging the girl past Nepgear, who flipped backwards in the air, slamming her heel down on Schwarz's back. As the girl spiraled downward, Nepgear pursued. Not one to be outdone, Schwarz was able to catch herself in the air as Nepgear's blade crashed down, parrying with her large chakram. The two women descended, exchanging blows with their weapons as they danced around the other, and they crashed right through the ground, plowing through as they continued to fight. Earth and rubble were offset as their weapons clashed, and eventually, the two broke through into a massive underground cavern, breaking apart as they stared off.

"I don't understand you," The elder goddess claimed, placing a thin hand to her forehead. "You were created just for the purpose of fighting me. You've got no other reason to exist. You've never met me before today. What _drives _you?" The woman sounded legitimately confused; she couldn't comprehend why Schwarz would risk her life on what seemed to be a whim.

"Why do I need a reason to save the world?" Schwarz countered, her eyes ablaze. "I'm not in this for glory. I'm doing this because I think I'm a hero. You've ruined this world. Gameindustri, not the "Gearkai", was a world where competition was meant to make it flourish. Your existence is like a virus — you force everything to exist under you, every country united under one banner. Eventually, this world will crumble. I'm _will _stop you. Not because I can. Because I have to."

"And how to you propose to do that?" Nepgear pressed, truly surprised by this girl's answer. It seemed to resonate in her head, like a memory long since past. "Kill me? What will that solve? Will you unite the world under you instead?"

"No, not at all," Schwarz shook her head. Her eyes began to flash. "...There it is. It's finally loaded. is now fully online."

"Liberator...?" The CPU queried. Did this girl just load a program?

"That's enough chatter." Schwarz asserted firmly, her determination renewed. "We've dragged on this battle for far too long, Nepgear." Giving no further time for a response, Schwarz lunged, kicking up dirt and rock behind her, slamming her fist into Nepgear's face as they collided. The assailed Goddess, in anger, struck back, slamming her elbow into Schwarz's chin, following the attack with a brutal blow to the stomach, winding her. Schwarz felt strong, but silk-like digits grip her face; Nepgear had her head gripped firmly in her palm. With great force, the woman leapt through the ceiling of the cavern, smashing her into the rock as they dug upward, breaching the surface; the cool night air greeting them both, stinging their wounds. With a mighty cry, Nepgear threw Schwarz's body down to the ground.

"Tch...!" Schwarz forced herself to flip in the air, landing on her feet as she placed a hand firmly into the ground, skidding to an abrupt stop, just in time to see Nepgear barreling down on her, sword at her side, thrusting it forward. Schwarz swung her torso to the side, allowing the blade to pass by her. "NOW!" She called out, placing a hand directly onto the back of the blade. A soft white glow emanated from it, Schwarz lifting her head off the weapon; following the arc of her hand was a glowing white entity.

"Impossible...!" Nepgear hissed furiously, almost spitting in a rage. "Insolent whelp!"

"That's the reaction I wanted to see," Schwarz let the form float aimlessly; it stood at her side, giving off a glow as bright as the moon above them. "My mother planned this entire thing out from the beginning. She's nothing if not thorough," Schwarz couldn't help but elucidate the entire situation for Nepgear. "The plan has never been to kill you; freeing the Goddesses and you from the Gehaburn was the reason we came here. From the moment I entered HDD, the Liberator program was loading. It's why I never used enough power to kill you; we needed to free the souls," she gestured to the creature floating beside her, "from you."

"You...!" Nepgear was quickly losing her grip on her own sanity. The indignation of being outsmarted, in addition to the panic of the Gehaburn blade in her hand, was beginning to fuel her into a frenzy.

"But you took it a step further, Nepgear," Schwarz droned on, seeming very eager to make this latter point, "We hadn't had a real clue what to do with the souls. We only knew freeing them, and you, was preferable to the current state of things. But you were kind enough to not only create bodies for them, but to portion out their souls to each...giving the souls I draw out a means to return with no issue."

The soul floating next to her — who was in fact Noire — began to glow brighter, before it took off in the direction of the Oracles fighting; the location of her body.

"Now that the maximum number of souls have been removed, the Gehaburn should begin to lose its influence on you," Schwarz declared, feeling actually a little satisfied. "Are you finally in there, Nepgear?" She extended a hand towards Nepgear, as if expected the woman to take it.

A crackling sound filled the air, and a massive burst of energy was released from Nepgear's body; violent tendrils of dark purple energy. These energy whips seemed to reject the presence of Schwarz, creating something akin to a barrier that pushed her hand back, shocking the girl.

"Cut..." The word escaped Nepgear's mouth like a whisper; soft, but carrying. The very tone sent a chill down Schwarz's spine. Nepgear's mouth split into a wide grin as her sclera darkened from white to black, her blue irses being replaced with a glowing dark purple. "CUT CUT CUT CUT...I'LL CUT YOU UP...YES, I'LL TEAR YOU APART BEFORE I PULL YOUR SOUL OUT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shit!" Schwarz jumped back as the maddened woman thrust her sword forward, the edge barely missing Schwarz, cutting her face and leaving her with a cut similar to the one on Nepgear's own, blood dripping down.

* * *

Noire's soul flew through the sky, very much aware of her surroundings as she traveled at breakneck speeds towards something that was long since foreign after a century of separation — her body. Her spectral eyes fell upon the battlefield; she could see the Oracles, as well as the Goddesses, fighting. To see her own body moving without her in it...it was a strange feeling. She picked up speed, her vision tunneling as she made contact with her body.

Pain. That was the first sensation she could feel; a rapier slicing through her arm, and quick kick straight to her gut, sending her flying backwards. A new sensation greeting Noire as she slammed into a shattered wall; looking down, she could see the wound healing in a matter of seconds. Regeneration? She could regenerate now?

"We have to restrain them!" Chika called out frantically. "If we don't come up with a long term solution, we're going to run out of stamina in no time!"

Noire held her head; the Oracles were entirely oblivious to the fact that she had returned, and the only reason she had yet to say anything is because she was trying to get a grasp on the situation. The last thing she could remember was their fight with Nepgear. She'd been the one to urge the girl to kill her with that dreaded blade...

"So things have gone south." The ebony-haired girl muttered, standing up, already feeling exasperated. She'd placed her faith in that girl, and this was the end result?

"Noire?" Kei's voice was the first to respond to Noire's own. "Did I hear correctly?"

"I think I heard it as well." Mina agreed. "She...she spoke!"

"I'll go check on her; Mina, help the others," Kei ordered, and Mina heeded, dashing back into the fray, Kei proceeding opposite to confirm that Noire was indeed alive.

"So that is you, Kei," Noire was relieved to see her faithful, if sarcastic, retainer was still alive. Being an Oracle had its perks, it seemed. "I'm still trying to process everything that's going on."

"I'm glad to see you're in one piece, Noire," Whether it showed on Kei's face, she was truly relieved to see the body that held a part of Noire's soul had finally regained the whole of it. "Does this mean Schwarz has been successful?"

"Yes...and no. From what I can remember, just pulling out my soul from the blade didn't reverse its effects at all," Noire clarified. "If anything, we may have made it worse."

"Worse?" Kei couldn't possibly think how the situation could get worse than it already was.

"The sword is determined to keep Nepgear as its host," Noire explained. "The last I saw as I made my way here was Nepgear entering a berserker state. The sword seems to want the soul of the Goddess she's fighting to maintain a complete form."

"That's...!" For the first time, Kei was stunned. "This is unprecedented. It was thought that all of your souls were required for the Malice Blade to maintain its form as the Gehaburn. The plan...it can't be falling apart now, can it?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Kei." Noire reassured her. "It's unlike you to be so worried, so relax. I'll put my faith in someone new, this time — that greenhorn Goddess all of you Oracles are so willing to bet the world on. Now come on...I think the Oracles need back up."

* * *

"I WILL REND YOU ASUNDER AND ABSORB YOUR SOUL!" A low growl escaped from Nepgear's mouth that escalated into a roar. Moving swiftly, she repeatedly thrust her blade forward at Schwarz, who slid left, right, and backwards, dodging each strike, adrenaline flowing through her divine body.

"_ She's completely lost it...!_ Schwarz thought to herself, feeling blade slice through the air as it whizzed by her, missing its mark each and every time. While she had felt so spent only a few moments ago, she could feel renewed energy flowing through her body. She recognized it well — it was the power of faith. Someone else had placed their hopes, and their beliefs, in her.

She could not afford to fail now. As Nepgear came in with a slash from the left, Schwarz parried using the flat side of the Chakram, and immediately gripped the Gehaburn with her hand, the soft white glow coming into being once more. Nepgear's eyes widened with shock and fury as a grin slid across Schwarz's face.

"PULL!" She cried, giving a mighty heave and she immediately flew backwards, a line of glowing white trailing behind her. As the energy took shape, it revealed the forms of two young girls — no older than children — with their hands intertwined. The spirits of Ram and Rom were free.

"That's three down!" Schwarz breathed, relieved at her success. "Four to go." The souls took off towards their own bodies, finally free of their confines. As if to interrupt her satisfaction, Nepgear began to release a foul energy, black tendrils that shot out of her body, creating a large pillar in the sky. Her eyes blackened entirely, and from her mouth spouted further energy, black in colour.

"It's the sword...!" Schwarz thought aloud, shielding her face with her arm as the energy exuded from the fallen Goddess, sending chills down the girl's spine. "_It's getting desperate, it's trying to maintain its hold!_" All coherent thought, however, soon left her as Nepgear collided with her body as full tilt, winding the girl, causing her eyes to widen with shock and saliva to spit out of her mouth. With a crack like a whip, Nepgear spun, her right leg slamming into Schwarz's face, sending the girl spiraling down like a missile.

Nepgear, it seemed, had foregone all rationality by this point, in exchange for an extreme boost in power. The sword was getting desperate by this point; it would need more than just Schwarz's soul to maintain its own form now. Nepgear descended like a rocket, creating a large sonic boom behind her as she moved. Schwarz skidded along the ground, looking up just in time to be blindsided by Nepgear, the collision creating a massive crater in the ground as Schwarz felt her body lifted off the ground. Schwarz reacted quickly, forcing her eyes open against the wind currents and grinding her digits into the dirt, pushing herself into the air, Nepgear narrowly missing her, the crazed goddess having come barreling down on her once more.

"I need to think up a way to stop her...!" Schwarz muttered, wiping the blood off her face. "She's like a crazed bull, and she just keeps coming! I need to do something about that swo-" She stopped dead; it hit her. Exactly what she needed to do. Her line of thinking hit her perfect, as Nepgear rebounded like a boomerang, flying directly up to Schwarz, her black aura leaving a trail of shadows behind her. Schwarz was quick to reciprocate, rocketing towards Nepgear, the latter too blinded by rage to properly think of a counterattack. As they closed in, Schwarz ducked, seemingly allowing Nepgear to pass over her, only to swing her chakram upwards, crashing it directly into the sword. This action made Nepgear stop dead in the air, as if stunned.

"Nailed it...!" Schwarz grinned to herself; Nepgear's response confirmed her suspicion. Even if the Gehaburn was controlling Nepgear's body, its own body was still the sword she wielded. Attacking it, deliberately causing damage to the sword, would be enough to disrupt its control, if even temporarily. She latched onto the blade once more, gripping it from both sides. This action was enough to snap Nepgear out of her trance, and, reflexively, she attempted to thrust the blade forward into Schwarz.

"N-not happening...!" The girl grunted, all of her strength placed on the blade which kept it from moving. "Heave-HO!" She cried, lifting Nepgear up by her own sword and throwing her towards the surface of the planet. This action pulled out two additional souls; both appeared to be rather young as well, but still older than Ram and Rom. Short and petite, and the favorites of many, these were the souls of Neptune and Blanc. As with Ram and Rom, both of these souls took off towards their own host bodies.

"Ne...pt...une...!"

Astonished. That was Schwarz's feeling as the name of Neptune choked itself out of Nepgear's throat. Turning her attention away from her opponent, the silver-haired Goddess made desperate, grasping motions as Neptune's soul slipped past her, right out of her grip. Neptune's spectral head looked downward at her younger sister, a pitiable look upon her face. "Come...back...Nep...tu...ne!" The sentence was strangled, as if Nepgear was both trying to speak, and trying to stop herself from speaking at the same time.

The younger Goddess steeled her resolve at the sight of this. "_Nepgear...I know that's you in there! Please...hold on just a little longer! I will save you! And you can meet up with Neptune again...!_"

Nepgear rounded on Schwarz, entirely under the control of the Gehaburn once more. Her mouth opening wide, energy pouring out like a fountain, the girl let out a bloodcurdling roar into the moonlit heavens. To Schwarz's ears, this wasn't just a cry of rage; grief, loss, and regret was mixed in with the fury. The crazed woman stared down Schwarz, tears pouring out of her blackened eyes as her roar continued to shake the heavens. "Cut...I will destroy you...rip you to pieces...let the blood flow out...**AND DEVOUR YOUR SOUL!**"

Lunging like a mad woman, Nepgear thrust the sword forward rapidly, moving at such a speed that it became almost a blur. Much to her surprise, the blade collided with what felt like an invisible wall, given light and shape only when the tip of the blade touched it. "Deflector Cone System MK IV. An invisible barrier that only comes into the opponents sights when they've made contact with it. Like a fly on a web." The barrier shattered as Schwarz closed in, swinging her chakram against Nepgear who parried with her own blade to avoid a bisection. This action was a mistake. The mechanical chakram collided with the gunblade, a massive shockwave resonating throughout the area as Nepgear was stunned by the blow. Hoisting her chakram onto her shoulder, the edge of the handle began to open and span outward, creating what appeared to be a built-in cannon head. From the tip, energy began to spiral and charge once more. In preparation, Schwarz gripped the Gehaburn blade, white energy glowing softly.

"Nepgear...I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt a lot!" Schwarz said apologetically, as the energy began to compress itself in front of the cannon head. "This is for the good of Gameindustri! RBT Kanone!" She bellowed, and the sphere exploded in a massive array of energy, collided with Nepgear at near point-blank range and causing her to fly backwards from the force. As this happened, Schwarz's hands were separated from the sword, and a line of white extended until it finally separated, splitting into two distinct individuals; an older woman, and a young girl. Uni and Vert, the last of the captured souls, were finally split from the Gehaburn, and quickly took off towards their own bodies.

Schwarz felt herself breathe a sigh of relief; this had to be it. All of the souls were free now. That Gehaburn...it had nothing left to power it now. She took off, flying in the direction that Nepgear had been sent by her energy attack, descending towards the ground. After a few minutes of searching, her suspicious were proven correct; Nepgear lay, on the ground, broken and battered. Still clutched in her hands was an ordinary katana, nearly as beaten as she. When Schwarz got close, the sword suddenly snapped in two of its own accord. She couldn't help but laugh; a weakened laugh, one of relief as well.

It was over. It was truly over.

As it to affirm her thoughts, Nepgear's hair returned to its normal purple hue, and her skin complexion became less pale, as if the blood flow had returned. Schwarz bent down, and picked the girl up into her arms. "Come on...everyone's waiting for you."

* * *

Feeling ridiculously weak by this point, her power draining with every movement she made, Schwarz flew shakily back towards the ruined top floor of the Nep Tower. Even from the height she was at, she could see the remains of the battle that had taken place here. The entirety of the tower's top floor was coated in ice, craters aplenty decorated the surface, and the Oracles were sporting their fair share of wounds, some minor, some severe — Kei in particular still felt like she needed an ice pack. But what relieved the girl most was to see that Neptune, and the others, were in proper control of their bodies once again.

"It's Schwarz!" Mina exclaimed, pointing upwards at the sky. "Everyone, Schwarz has returned!"

"She's back?" Chika bustled through to get a closer look at the exhausted figure of the flying girl, while Kei simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"Everyone, I'm ba-" Schwarz began, before promptly fainting directly above the tower, HDD deactivating against her will. Nepgear slipped from Schwarz's hold, and the two girls plummeted straight down to the tower.

"I'll help Schwarz," Histoire told Neptune. "You tend to your sister."

"Rightio!" Neptune replied, and made a mad dash for the falling figure of her sister. "Nep Jr, your big sister is a-comin'!" She crowed, sliding forward as Nepgear was about to hit the ground, catching her unconscious younger sister in her arms.

Histoire, on the other hand, took Schwarz out of the air in a more elegant fashion, using the magical energy of her tome to create a platform for the girl to rest as they made a slow descent. The girl opened her eyes, unable to move, her entire body felt weakened. "Mama Histoire...did I...did I do it?"

Histoire smiled gently, placing a small hand on her 'daughter's' face. "Yes, Schwarz, you succeeded. Close your eyes now, there's nothing left to do but rest."

As if she'd been waiting on the invitation, the girl closed her eyes, drifting off into a very welcome state of unconsciousness. Histoire and Schwarz touched the ground gently, in time to see Neptune sitting on the icy-ground, ignoring the cold entirely as she let Nepgear rest her head on her lap, stroking the girl's hair.

"We're back together again, Nep Jr.," The older sibling couldn't help but smile to herself and talk, even though Nepgear wasn't awake to her anything she was saying. "I'm never going to let something like that happen to you again. Big sis is gonna protect you from everything now."

Noire sighed, smiling in a defeated sort of manner. "To be honest, I was looking forward to giving Nepgear a piece of my mind when this was all over...but I guess I really shouldn't intrude on something like this..."

"It's best to simply leave them to their own right now," Vert agreed. To be honest, she didn't have anything she really had to say to Nepgear in this situation.

"We can always speak to them when she's woken up," Blanc replied quietly. "We'll have a long time to get our thoughts out to Nepgear."

"So this is the girl who saved us?" Ram walked over to Schwarz, prodding her cheeks. "She doesn't look like much at all!"

"Ram, you know that's impolite!" Mina scolded the younger twin quickly. "Without Schwarz, none of you would be here right now. Speaking of which...Histoire, where do we go from here?"

Histoire looked over at her comrade, turning her attention away from her 'daughter' for the first time in a few minutes. "We introduce the Goddesses back into the world of Gameindustri. It'll be a slow and arduous process; the humans who are alive now are a new generation that have only lived under the rule of Nepgear. But we'll succeed."

"With this in mind, it's time to return to our nations," Kei suggested lightly. "It's finally time to begin rebuilding Gameindustri, and Lastation, from the bottom up."

"This means, the next time we all see each other again, everything will be back to the status quo," Chika remarked. The idea of it surprised her; things had been so far gone for years. To have everything back to the way it should be would be a relief indeed.

And this feeling was mutual. With the long battle finally over, a new age begins in Gameindustri. With the Goddesses and their Oracles working diligently — Neptune, surprisingly, required no prodding from Histoire to finally get to work — they spearheaded the revitalization of Gameindustri.

Schwarz's story comes to a close, but her life is only just beginning. The possibilities of adventures that lie in store for the young girl and her new friends are endless.

**END **

* * *

**Author's Note: **_So...here we are, at the final chapter. I would first like to apologize to everyone who reads my works for the long wait on this final chapter, I really can't apologize enough. I got caught up in the likes of various distractions, I don't really have any excuse, so I'm sorry! But I would also like to thank everyone whose stuck with me for my first complete story. I'm really grateful to everyone who read it, and especially so to those who gave me the kind words of encouragement I got throughout this small series._

_So, to answer any final questions, in the mystical future of this story, Gameindustri will return to the way it was prior to Nepgear defeating the Deity of Sin, Arfoire, and uniting the world under her iron fist. It will take work on the part of the Goddesses and Oracles, everyone, even Neptune, will have to pitch in and do their fair share. I feel, after such a dark ending __— __and really, does it get much darker than a genocide? — that there deserves to be a ray of light in the future. That's my story._

_Finally, on the note of Schwarz, I'm sure some people have to be curious, what will happen to her? Will she become a Planeptune Goddess? Form her own nation? To that, all I can say is...who knows? I'll leave that up to you readers. I will say this, however. All CPUs represent a console, or a handheld. Schwarz, however, is meant to be unique. To me, she doesn't represent a console, so much as the future of the gaming industry. This is, of course, why she is the one who changes and shapes the future into something everyone can believe in!_

_Once again, thank you, everyone! Stay tuned, I'm not done writing yet, even if I am not continuing this series!_

_Finally, a special thanks to my good friend Demod20, who was only too kind to check the story for me after I finished to make sure it seemed adequate!_


End file.
